When a Man Becomes A Chief
by Aryea
Summary: This is a sequel to When a Boy Becomes A Man, and takes place three years after HTTYD 2. Some SPOILERS for the movie may be referenced. Hiccup and Astrid are married and adjusting to their new lives together and his being chief of Berk
1. Chapter 1

_This is a sequel to When A Boy Becomes A Man. It is three years later, and Astrid and Hiccup are settling into their new roles. This story will be a little darker than the first, that is why I still marked it as hurt/comfort and will be dealing with some violence and mature themes so is rated a __**strong T**__. But don't worry there will still be plenty of fluff. I hope to explore the roles of everyone else in Berk as well, not just Astrid and Hiccup's, so please indulge me._

_I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please, please review._

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**CHAPTER ONE**

_This is Berk. We are halfway between nowheresville and three quarters of the way to someplace else. We have smothering snow storms, howling rain storms, and ridiculous frost bite; and then the bad weather starts. We have an all you can eat fish menu, year round hunting and northern lights that would make even a blind Viking stop and stare. _

_We're a well mixed community of Grumbling Guntars, Bitter Bjorn's and Hothead Harolds, and they're just the welcoming committee! We eat two meals a day, celebrate an assortment of holidays, the origins of which most can't recall, and we bathe once a week; most of us anyway._

_Our island may not look like much, and our Vikings may smell bad, but there is no better place to live. My father was Chief here for many years, and I promised to take care of the people for him. I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, husband, son and new Chief of Berk. Oh, and did I mention, my best friend is a Night Fury?_

Hiccup glanced up from his current design as Toothless huffed in his ear. "Two more minutes, bud," he promised and went back to the drawing of a new vegetable house he planned to build.

They'd only been able to grow certain things on Berk, because of the hard, stony ground and freezing temperatures. Cabbage was their main vegetable, but even that could only be grown for a couple of months a year. These new hot- houses were designed to receive plenty of warmth from the sun, but were enclosed and protected from the cold. They would also have an interior heating system, which ran on one Lava Bomb a day, politely provided by the assortment of Gronkles that resided in and around Berk. Assuming, of course, it all worked once he got the designs off paper and into real life.

If they did work, the hot-houses would allow more crops to grow at a much faster rate and would give them plenty of vegetables year round. They always had plenty of fish now, especially as the ships had all been outfitted with specialized storage compartments that allowed the fishermen to sail farther and still return to Berk with an unspoiled haul. Their sheep stock was well in hand, as were the chickens, so the days of needing to hunt were more a hobby than a requirement to feeding the village. Best of all, when the really harsh weather came, they always had plenty of food to feed everyone.

"Babe, come on!" Astrid Hofferson Haddock insisted as she appeared at the top of the stairs for the second time and waved at her husband. "We're going to be late!"

"Two minutes..."

Astrid sighed, walked over and snatched his pencil away from him. "You said that ten minutes ago."

Without missing a beat he pulled another pencil from his the slot on his glove cuff and continued the design. "I'm almost finished..."

She pulled the notebook away. "Now, or I am hiding all your notebooks for a week."

"That's okay," he grinned, swiftly turned in his chair, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down on his lap. "I have more hidden all over the island."

She laughed, despite herself, and tried to pull away, though not with any real effort. "We don't have time for this," she scolded, even as his fingers wrapped around her braid and tugged her mouth down to his.

"Two minutes," he promised and kissed her, deeply thoroughly.

Astrid sighed, wrapped her arms around him and wondered when she had become so docile? Damn him and his fantastic kisses! Laughing when his hand tried to find its way beneath her tunic, she slapped at his chest and hopped up.

"Hiccup!"

"What? I'm your husband, I'm allowed..."

"You're also Chief, and you're not allowed to be late."

"Oh come on." He tried to catch hold of her again but she dodged the attempt. "It's not like they can start without me."

"It's still not cool to make them wait, Hiccup."

"You're making me wait right now, and that is also not cool."

She giggled, he was so adorable when he was frisky. "You can have yours later." She smacked his hands away from her waist when he reached for her again. "If you come with me."

"All right, Ms. Bossy Pants." Hiccup sighed, then rose from his desk and grabbed his cloak off the wall. "But you'll rue the day for forcing me to contain all this raw Viking power."

Toothless sniggered and Hiccup made the same sound back at him.

"That goes for you too, chuckles."

Astrid smirked and pulled her husband across the garret floor, which had been expanded to include a half wall that separated their bedroom from his office and Toothless' bed pad. They had built a nesting cabin for Stormfly onto the back of their house, and then expanded the loft over that.

He grinned as his wife practically pulled him down the stairs, with Toothless following. "I was just finishing up a design..."

"You're always finishing up a design!" Astrid yanked him out the door where Stormfly was waiting on them.

"But sweetie pie, I'm just trying to build a better... Ooww!" He rubbed his shoulder where she punched him. "What was that for?"

"Don't call me sweetie pie!" She released his hand and climbed up onto Stormfly.

"You're sooooo sexy when you're violent," he smirked as he hopped onto Toothless, and when she growled at him he urged his dragon into the air and took off at full throttle.

"Hiccup!" she growled, laughing, as Stormfly rushed to catch up.

Hiccup grinned back at her. "Well, come along, Mrs. Haddock! I thought you were in a hurry?"

She urged Stormfly faster, but there was absolutely no way to catch up to a Night Fury.

It was hard to believe that it had been three years since the day she had become Hiccup's wife. The time had just flown by, what with all the things that needed to be done in the village, and all the traveling he had been forced to do to advise the other tribes about Stoick. Some of those trips had ended badly, not because Hiccup wasn't a good diplomat, but because some Vikings were just too stubborn to be changed.

They viewed the dragons of Berk as a threat, some had even compared Hiccup to Drago Bludvist, accusing him of massing his own dragon army. They simply couldn't comprehend that he had no desire to conquer them, and that the dragons didn't stay on Berk because they had to, but because they wanted to.

Berk had to increase their security around the island, include day and night patrols, and always, always there was more training to do in case of an attack. Valka and Fishlegs had taken over the dragon training academy, and they was doing very well, considering there were now far more than just four five of them enrolled. Most of their villager had decided to become Defenders of Berk, and they even had some exchange students from other tribes. The academy had become an obstruction with some people but good public relations for others.

So far, none of the dissidents had bothered to harass them, but Astrid suspected that the same thing that they were protesting over was also the thing that kept them away, an island full of dragons.

Best of all, Hiccup had finally seemed to have gotten past the fear of not living up to his father's legacy, and had managed to incorporate his love of tinkering and inventions to make Berk a wonderful, and safer place to live.

He'd let his hair grow, not all of it, just a small thin portion, enough for a long braided tail down his back, while the rest still shot out in varied directions from the top of his head to his shoulders. Astrid lovingly braided that tail every morning; it was something she still looked forward to.

The combination of braid and tail, along with his new flight suit which was all black, with red and black armor made him appear almost invisible when riding on Toothless. He wore the cloak his mother made him, only while on Berk, and for special occasions, as it threw off his dynamics when flying. Between the hair longer hair and the new outfit he appeared strong, mysterious and positively lethal. It made people take him more seriously At least until he smiled, and then everyone just saw the old Hiccup again, and the women, of course, all just melted at his feet.

When she finally landed on the lookout, she was laughing at the sight of Hiccup, nonchalantly leaning up against Toothless, as if he'd been there for hours.

"You cheated!" she accused, hopping off Stormfly.

Hiccup simply put his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the gathering crowd. "I had to, or we would have been late."

The look she gave him could have frozen meat, because he knew that she wouldn't hit him in front of people anymore. Of course, when they were alone, or at home, the gloves were off and he'd probably need stitches later. He loved her all the more for it.

He moved to the center where a young man stood, waited to be wed. He smiled and greeted the people gathered, then stepped to the front so everyone could see him and nodded at Gothi, who stood beside him, with her fur branch.

"Dude, you're late," the groom griped.

"Whine, whine, whine."

"Seriously?"

"I'm sorry I was late."

"Not cool."

"No," Hiccup agreed and pointed to the figure coming towards them. "But that is."

They watched the bride walk through the gap created by the spectators and his smile widened.

Hiccup looked at the groom and said quietly. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Snotlout nodded, his eyes never moving from the sight of his bride walking towards him. "Oh yeah. More than ready."

Hiccup squeezed his friend's shoulder, then smiled as Ruffnut reached them.

"Marriage is a sacred promise," he began.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AstridHiccup-**__ Hey! Happy Birthday! Hope it was a good one._

_**UnbreakableWarrior**__ Thanks! Hope you like the rest. _

_**Guest**__ – Yay x 2! Thanks for staying tuned! _

_**CelticCutie**__– Aww, thank you so much! Hope you've reformed again, melting can be a difficult process. ;-)_

_**Tasermon's Partner**__ Absolutely I am evil, there is much to be said for a false sense of security. Don't worry will still be plenty of fluff for the Hiccstrids out there!_

_**cari**__ I hope you enjoy it too! May not be updating this one as quickly as the last, as I have a few more irons in the fire now, but will do my best! _

_**lorde**__ I would NEVER forget about HICCSTRID:)). _

_**Incarnate Firefly**__ – yeah I battled with the whole Snotlout pair up, but I think my choice is reasonable. Ruffnut would eat Fishlegs alive and Eret, well, I couldn't do that to Eret! LOL! A child? What child? __ Let's see what the future holds, shall we?_

_**phnxgrl**__ I am rather fond of the beginning myself, and I most certainly will continue. _

_Thank you all for reviewing! And now...onto the story..._

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**CHAPTER 2**

Hiccup flew over the Dragon academy, watched with pride as Fishlegs discussed the Book of Dragons while his students, both young and old, noted their own books, while seated at wooden desks that had been created for the class.

He smiled as he and Toothless flew inside and landed.

"Morning, Chief," the students, both young and old, greeted him.

"Hey everyone, how is it going?"

"Fishlegs talks a lot," one Gustav commented.

"Good, that means you'll learn a lot, so pay attention." Hiccup grinned and slid off his dragon to walk to the teacher. "Got a minute, Fish?"

"Of course." He turned back to the class. "Everyone, list the specifications of a Monstrous Nightmare, a Scauldron and a Zippleback on your papers."

There was a mild groan but seconds later the students were scribbling away.

Fishlegs and Hiccup walked over by one of the storage stables.

"I need you to look this over, tell me what you think and let me know if there is anything we need to add or change." Hiccup handed Fishlegs the hot-house design.

Fishlegs studied it and smiled. "This is a great idea! Hmmm, could be tweaked a little bit, and we'll need specialized pulley's to open the tops for the sunlight every day, then close them again at night, but I think I know how we can manage it."

"Awesome." Hiccup clapped him on the shoulder. "I will leave it in your capable hands. So, how are you enjoying teaching?"

"I love it! It's the only place I get to talk and people have to listen!"

"That's why I knew you would be perfect." Hiccup laughed. "Have you seen my Mom around?"

"She said she was going to take Cloud Jumper up to the South side of the island to practice some maneuvers, before showing them in class."

"Great." Hiccup hopped back on Toothless. "I'll see you later."

"You bet!" Fishlegs waved, then turned back to his class.

Hiccup and Toothless flew past the figure of his father. "Morning, Dad!" he called as he pulled Toothless higher. He spotted Cloud Jumper on the ground enjoying a field of dragon grass, his rider settled cross legged in the field and laughing.

Toothless landed, glanced at Hiccup for permission and, after a nod, hopped into the grass and started to roll around enthusiastically on his back.

Hiccup settled beside his mother with a smile. "I thought you were trying out new maneuvers?"

"We were, but then we landed here and I haven't been able to get him out!"

Hiccup lay back, stretched out his legs and stared up at the clouds as their dragons played. "Well, it's a quiet day, let them enjoy it for awhile."

Valka nodded and glanced over her son's handsome face. There were shadows under his eyes and lines of fatigue and stress that had never been there before. He had matured so much the last couple of years, and she blessed Astrid for that; she had been his rock. But she wished he had time to enjoy life more. When he was sleeping was really the only time she saw her baby boy's innocent face anymore.

She lay back, next to her son. "You should take Astrid and go away for awhile."

"I'd love to." He lifted his arms to cushion his head. "But there's too much to do."

"Your father was the same," she sighed. "Always so busy being chief and fighting dragons that we didn't get to spend much time together." She pulled out a blade of grass, rolled onto her side and tickled his cheek with it. "Don't make our mistakes, Hiccup."

He looked sideways at her, plucked the blade from her fingers and propped it between his lips. "It wasn't all bad, was it?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No. No, I had you and my leather work to keep me busy, and when he was home your dad was very kind and generous to me, but...he so often wasn't home, Hiccup. It's very hard, especially on a new wife, for her husband to be away a lot." She plucked up another blade of grass, chewed it. "Astrid is much stronger than I was, but I'm sure she still feels the same longings."

"I know that, Mom." Hiccup rolled on his side to face her, braced himself on his elbow. "But I can't just leave for an extended period without knowing Berk is protected. I can't risk our enemies attacking while I'm off enjoying time with my wife."

"It doesn't have to be a full month or even a week," she assured. "It could just be one afternoon a day, or an overnight trip somewhere, just the two of you."

She reached forward, cupped his cheek and smiled, pleased, when he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. She loved the simple ways he showed that he cared; how easily he let her know what her touch meant to him. Most Vikings would think it was unmanly to do so, but not her Hiccup.

"She needs it, son. She's been working just as hard as you have, you know."

"Okay," he agreed. "I'll try and think of something." On top of every other thing he had on his mind to think about.

She laid on her back again. "Besides, how am I ever going to get any grand babies if you two can't even be alone together?"

He flushed and grinned. "We're _alone_ most nights, Mom," he assured. "Don't push it."

"Don't you want to have children?"

"Of course, one day. Not right this minute."

"One day could be this day, and then what will you do?"

He plucked at the grass beside him. "I guess then we'll have a baby, won't we?"

She smiled at his sarcasm. "It's been three years, Hiccup."

"Aww, you're counting. That's so sweet."

"Hiccup..." She started to laugh. "Just like your father."

"Am I, Mom? I never felt like I was anything like him."

"Oh, in some things you are, little things that you probably don't recognize but I do."

He sat up and looked down at her. "Like what?"

She smiled up at him. "Well, you're both born leaders." When he opened his mouth to protest, as he usually did on such matters, she quickly added. "Whether you believe it or not, Hiccup, it's true!"

He closed his mouth and let her believe as she liked. "What else?"

"You are both kindhearted, and have a whimsical sense of humor."

He shook his head. "I didn't see Dad as humorous, Mom. In fact I hardly ever even saw him smile."

"Oh, that was just his way he was...well Stoick was...stoick." She watched Hiccup grin. "He didn't show much on the outside, but to me, to Gobber, people he was close to, he was very funny and sweet. Oh, how he could make me laugh."

"You were happy with him." It was a statement, not a question.

"I was. I loved him."

"Yet, you stayed away for all those years."

She sighed and sat up, crossed her legs again. "Yes. I know it's hard for you to understand how I could have loved you and your father so much and still stayed away, Hiccup, but I...I truly thought it was for the best."

He nodded. "I do understand, Mom. Really I do. I...I went through that...well I had that choice myself when I first met Toothless. I had thought about just flying off on him and never turning back."

"But you didn't."

"I couldn't. They found out about Toothless before I could and..."

"That's nonsense."

Hiccup glanced at her, surprised.

"Do you think Astrid hasn't told me about how you two met, son? Did you think I wouldn't ask?" She shook her head. "No, I know the story. You had the chance to leave, and you chose to stay and face the music. Don't tell me your choice was taken away from you, you made your choice."

Hiccup glanced over at his dragon, on his back rubbing through the grass. Would he have changed anything from that time? No, he didn't think he would. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"So you are stronger than your dear old mom."

"Don't say that. You had your reasons and I do understand them."

"Then why do you keep bringing it up, Hiccup?"

He looked at her. Did he? He hadn't meant to. "I'm sorry." He pulled out some more grass. "I...I guess I may be harboring a little...unconscious resentment. I'm sorry, Mom."

"It's understandable."

He nodded. "How _are_ you doing, Mom?"

"Me? Oh I'm fine. Keeping busy with the academy."

"But are you happy here?"

Valka had spent twenty years away from people and living with dragons. He could only imagine how hard living on Berk was for her, and he caught her staring off into space, looking sad more times than he could count.

She ruffled his hair. "Of course, you're here."

"I...thank you, but that isn't what I meant." He paused for a moment, gathered his thoughts, then continued. "I know how hard it is to stay, Mom, when all you really want to do is fly away. I know that living here can be very restrictive and no one would blame you if you...if you thought about the way it was before; or if you considered leaving again."

"Hiccup, I promised to stay here..."

"I know you did, and I love you for it, but..." Again he grew quiet as he tried to find the words to express himself. "I love having you here, Mom, but if...if you're not happy here...I...I would understand if you..."

He had to stop for a moment as his gut clenched and his heart beat quickened at the idea, just the idea of her leaving. But he had to do what was best for everyone on Berk, and that included his mother.

"I just want you to be happy."

She regarded him quietly for a long moment. "Would you leave everything and fly off if you could?" she asked. "Would you forget your responsibilities as Chief, your wife, your life here to fly off on a new adventure with your dragon?"

"I...I think about it," he admitted. "A lot, actually, still... but...no. My life is here. It hasn't been an easy life, but it's where I was born and grew up. My friends are here, Astrid is here and...and I couldn't just leave Berk unprotected."

She nodded and felt the pride well up in her. "I appreciate what you are offering me, Hiccup, more than you know. Living with Cloud Jumper and the dragons was...well it was an experience that could never be explained or recaptured. We have dragons here, and it's enough for me to feel less...claustrophobic about the people who also live here."

Valka found the longer she stayed on Berk, the easier it became. Long buried memories and skills had started to reemerge, things she had completely forgotten, or hadn't needed the last twenty years with just the dragons. She had made friends, had become part of the community in a way that she'd never been able to when she was Stoick's wife. That alone gave her hope and made it easier.

Of course she missed the life she had, the feedings, the flights, the openness of space, and sometimes she still had to remember to walk like a human and not a dragon, but she wouldn't trade any of it for Hiccup. He was her son, her Chief, her life, and she truly meant to spend the rest of her days at his side, making up for lost time.

"I've been blessed to have lived two such different lives, son, but this is the life I chose now. A life with you." She reached for his hand, squeezed it. "You are what makes everything worthwhile. You are why I stay, and why I will never, ever leave again."

"But are you happy?"

She sighed, and then laughed. "Just like your father! You get an idea in your head and you can't let it go!"

"I can't no, because you haven't answered me yet."

She leaned in, kissed his forehead tenderly. "I'm happier than I thought I would be."

He scowled as she rose and offered him a hand up. "That...that's not much of an answer."

"It will have to do." She patted his cheek once he was back on his feet. "Now, let's get our dragons out of this grass."

"This will take teamwork," he advised with a grin, and into the long grass they went.


	3. Chapter 3

**phnxgrl-** Awww, thanks so much for reviewing!

**AstridHiccup-** I am still deciding which of Hiccup's enemies will be returning. Maybe more than one. Stay tuned!

**IncarnateFirefly**- Awesome! That's the second Birthday Update I've had for this one. Happy Birthday! I know, right? I'd gladly give up Geography and math to learn about dragons. Fishlegs does talk a lot, but I love him to bits!

**Tasermon's Partner**. -*blushes* Wow, you always give me the greatest feed back! Thank so, so much, it really helps. Glad you are enjoying it.

Thanks everyone for reviewing, I really appreciate any feedback you can offer. Well, time to pull on those ol' heart strings! Enjoy!

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**CHAPTER 3**

Hiccup slipped of his armor and started to unfasten the many belts of his flight suit. Gods, what a day! One thing after another, after another. Not major issues, just little things mostly that had managed to pile up, and then everyone wanted his attention right away.

He hung his flight suit and belts on a wall hook, then dropped down onto their bed. He smirked. When had he had started thinking of it as his and Astrid's bed? It had taken him longer than he had expected to get used to having someone sleep beside him. Astrid moved around a lot in her sleep, all that battle-ready energy he supposed, and the first few weeks he hadn't gotten much sleep because of it.

After spending so much of his life alone, until Toothless anyway, having someone share his private living space had required a huge adjustment. Especially as they had both been sharing such a cramped space; which hadn't seemed cramped when it was just him and Toothless.

Then, once they finished off the extensions of the house and their loft; created the partition to separate their bedroom from the outer room and his office, he'd felt more comfortable and had finally gotten used to sleeping beside her. Of course, it helped that even with the separator wall, he could still hear Toothless' gentle snoring purrs. Eventually, even Astrid seemed to get used to things and settled, moving only once or twice through the night.

Life had fell into a simple routine, but one he rather enjoyed; even if he was ridiculously busy. As Hiccup was almost always the first to wake, Toothless still demanded a flight just after sunup, only now he would come in and huff in Hiccup's ear to wake him. They would enjoy about twenty minutes of blissful peace and quiet, then return and start breakfast. Sometimes his mother or Astrid would be up when he returned from his ride, and they would already have breakfast started, but most times he did it. After all, he was the better cook out of the three.

Then, while they ate, it was a quick rundown of what needed to be done that day. Astrid was awesome at keeping his schedule, and her own very full agenda as well. He understood that things would be so much harder if he didn't have her to handle some of it.

His father had trusted very few to help him, had kept his own schedule, as well as his own house; at least until Hiccup was old enough to help with it. His father had known everyone on the island by name, Hiccup wasn't quite there yet and he knew he wasn't getting things done as fast or as well as his father had. But, he had promised to just try his best and not compare himself to his father. He was trying, but he still compared.

After breakfast they would go about their assigned tasks, and most days he would not see Astrid or his mother until dinner time, unless he sought them out. They had taken to eating at the hall most nights, because at the end of a long day Hiccup simply wasn't in the mood to cook. Although, Astrid would sometimes surprise him with a meal at home; she was actually getting more diverse in what she could make, but she too would be very tired at the end of the day. Valka's cooking seemed to have worsened, so she agreed to stay out of the kitchen entirely.

His mother had been his eyes and ears, making note of things people did or said or would like done, or were even upset over. She would relay these things to him over dinner, and they would try and find a solution. On top of all that, his mind was always working on ways to improve Berk, to make it run more efficiently and, frankly, to cut himself a break so he didn't have to oversee every tiny thing.

Many nights he stayed at the hall after dinner, talking to people, discussing their issues or making plans with his team or Gobber. Sometimes it was the wee hours before he returned home to his wife and his bed, and she was almost always asleep by then; having had a full day herself. He rarely had the heart to wake her.

The next day, it would start all over again. The only real time he had to himself was that early morning ride, and the only thing that broke the monotony of their routine was if he had to go off and visit a neighboring tribe.

He looked down at his prosthetic, tried to decide if he would leave it on, or take it off. In the end, he slid it off, because his stump was incredibly sore. He pulled off his boot, then lay back on the bed and pulled his legs up. He was still wearing his tunic and leggings, but he honestly didn't have the energy to remove them.

He closed his eyes against his throbbing head and flung an arm over them. The minute he did his mind started to race of all the things he had to do and he groaned. Would he never be able to just settle his mind and go to sleep? He used to be able to drop off instantly!

A cold sensation cut across his frantic thoughts and his eyes opened to see Astrid, seated on the bed beside him, holding a block of ice to his head.

"I love you," he sighed and reached up to hold the block in place. "My head really hurts."

"I know." She rose and started taking off her armor. She had seen the headache in his eyes over dinner. "Would you like me to rub your back for you?"

He sighed again, heavily. "That would be heaven, but no."

She turned, surprised. "No?"

"I'm so tired, babe, I won't even feel it tonight, and I prefer to actually enjoy it if you're going to make the effort."

Shooting him a sympathetic smile, she finished undressing, with the exception of her under garments, then carefully pulled him into a sitting position. "Poor baby."

"Yeah, boo hoo for me." He felt his hair begin to loosen as Astrid knelt behind him and deftly unfastened his braid. "You could leave it in overnight," he teased.

"Nope." Astrid pulled his hair straight, using her fingers to comb through the tangles, until it hung to the middle of his back. "I like it down when we're in bed."

"You just like to play with it."

"True, but you like to play with mine too," she reminded as she turned so he could do the same with her braid. "Don't you?"

"Mmmm, favourite part of the day."

He set his block of ice down, removed the leather tie at the end of her braid and combed his fingers through her hair, which was now down past her waist. She'd agreed to grow it longer for him and he absolutely loved seeing it flow about her shoulders.

"Arms up," she ordered and he complied so she could pull off his tunic.

"I love it when you undress me."

"Pervert." She giggled as she rose and he quickly caught her around the waist, pulling her into his lap. "Hiccup!"

"Astrid!" He buried his face in her hair. "Are you happy?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

He sighed and hugged her. "I know I'm away a lot, and so busy sometimes..."

She turned, slid her arms around his waist so she could straddle him. "You're Chief. You have a lot of responsibilities, babe. I know that."

"I know you know that, I just..." He twirled a thick lock of her hair around his fingers. "Sometimes, I wish we could just go away for awhile, just the two of us and be alone; to do whatever we want."

"We took a week for our honeymoon," she reminded kindly.

"That was over two years ago, Astrid."

She nodded and nestled her cheek against his. "I know. I wish we could too, but you can't stop being Chief and I can't stop being your number one. We both have responsibilities and people who count on us."

"I'm too young to feel this old," he grumbled.

She laughed. "Oh babe, it will be okay. We still have each other every...well most nights."

He flushed as he remembered his conversation with his mother regarding grandchildren. "Um...speaking of...how...how are you feeling?"

"Fine, why?"

"Oh, just asking. I mean you...you're not tired or...or feeling...um sick or anything are you?"

She crossed her arms over his chest, leaned her chin on them. "Hiccup, are you asking me if I am with child?"

He was sure his face was going to melt off then and there. "I...um...well...we talked about it some, but I...Mom...Mom was asking."

"Your mom was asking about us having a child?"

"She...she... apparently she wants grandchildren."

"And as the dutiful son you wish to deliver them to her now?"

"No!" He pushed his head back, covered his face with his hands. Why did he even start this conversation? "Stop it," he moaned, knowing she was getting way too much enjoyment out of torturing him. "I...I'm not good at...talking about...this."

She smiled, leaned up to kiss him, then ran her fingers through his hair. "I feel fine," she told him, calmly, watched the relief flood his face and frowned slightly.

He really wasn't ready to have children and that surprised her. He seemed to get on very well with the village kids, and had gotten over his nervousness of holding babies during naming ceremonies. The Chief needed an Heir, so he had to know they'd have one eventually, but would he be ready for it when they did?

Hiccup watched the multiple expressions flicker across his wife's lovely face and reached up to cup her cheek. "Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop misunderstanding me, because I'm speaking like a blithering idiot." He watched the small smile form on her lips and slid his fingers through her hair. "I _do_ want children, Astrid. I want them with you."

She moved off of him and sat up. "Just...not right now."

Gods! Now she sounded like his mother! "I didn't say that."

"You're implying it, Hiccup."

"Astrid, it's only been three years..."

"Most married couples have children within the first year. Look at your mom and dad..."

"I am not my father!" he barked, surprising himself with his own vehemence and watching her face turn to stone.

"So you keep saying." She rose, started to pull on her clothing.

"W...where are you going? Astrid!"

"I need some air." She left her armor off, pulled her hair into a pony tail and stalked across the room.

"Stubborn, obstinate, pigheaded!" Hiccup growled as he quickly pulled on his leg, his boot and grabbed his tunic. "Astrid!"

He stepped out of the house in time to see his wife fly off on Stormfly. "Toothless!" The dragon was right behind him, having been concerned when his rider ran past him where he had just started to doze.

"Hiccup?" Valka stood in the doorway of the house with lantern and in her night dress and bare feet. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, mom. Sorry if we woke you, Astrid and I just...need to check on something."

"Okay, son. Be careful."

Hiccup hopped onto Toothless' back and took to the air. He had a strong suspicion where Astrid was going, he only hoped he was right.

Sure enough, he spotted Stormfly seated by the water in the cover where he had originally hidden Toothless. He swooped down and Astrid, who had just started to sit down, hopped up and started running to Stormfly.

Hiccup dove off of Toothless and tackled her. He was in no mood for chasing her around the entire island tonight. "Stop! Astrid, stop!" He blocked the punch she leveled his way, and pinned her, sheer panic making him strong enough to keep her there. "What is _wrong_ with you?"

Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned her head away, even as she tried to struggle, but her heart wasn't in it. "Go away, Hiccup."

"Go...No, I won't go away! We're not kids anymore, Astrid. You can't just give me a punch or a kiss, and then wave me off when you're bored of me. I'm your husband and you're my wife!"

She gasped, and her struggles ceased, but she still refused to look at him or talk to him.

"Talk to me! Please! What has got you so upset?"

"You know what!" She reared up suddenly, catching him off guard and he flew backwards on his ass. "We don't have children!"

He gaped at her. "I...I know. Astrid, it's only been...

"Three years!" she cried and pulled her knees up to her chest to bury her face in them. It had hit her hard on the flight here; she wasn't angry about Hiccup not being ready, she was afraid he would never have to be. "Three years and no baby."

He hadn't realized she'd wanted one so badly, she'd never even hinted at it. Cautiously, he crawled to her. "Astrid, we will have children. There is plenty of time and..."

"What if I can't?" she moaned and hid her face again. "What if I can't give you a child, Hiccup?" She started to sob. "It's been t...three years." She should have gotten pregnant by now. Every other married couple she knew would have one or two babies by their third year. "Wh...what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing!" His eyes widened and he slid closer, pulling her into his arms, rocking her gently. "Oh, my love, there is nothing wrong with you."

"Then w...why can't I g...get pregnant?"

"I..."

How the Thor should he know? He had no clue about the miracle of childbirth, only his small part in the conception. There were women that suffered a childless fate, two of them lived in the village, but he had no idea what caused it and he didn't think that Astrid should be worried about such a condition.

"Astrid. Oh, Astrid." He pulled her hair out of the band, smoothed it down her back. "Sometimes...sometimes it just takes longer and...and...we haven't been...um...together every night. Maybe we're just...ah...miss...missing the...the opportunity, somewhere."

"I want to have your baby, Hiccup."

"I know, love, I know." And he loved her for it. "And you will. Please, please don't fret about it. I...I'm sure it will happen when the Gods decide we are ready."

She pulled back to look at him, her cheeks stained with her tears. "When will you be ready, Hiccup? You...sound like you're not and..."

"I am," he assured. "I will be. Come on, Astrid, I have so much on my mind right now, so much to think about that having a baby is...well it's just further down the list right now. It doesn't mean I'm not ready or don't want a child. I...I just...I can only deal with what is in front of me. I have to deal with what is now." He cradled her face between his hands. "I have to think about now or...I'll go crazy. Please tell me you understand that? Please don't ever doubt I love you or would love our baby?"

She buried her face in his neck, clung to him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just...Sometimes, I wish things were the way it was before. When we saw each other for hours every day. When we could just go off somewhere and be alone. When we had time to talk about how we were feeling and kiss until we lost our breath and...and..."

"I do too," he whispered and kissed the top of her head. "I wish it could be like that too, Astrid, but it's not. We can't go back." There was no way back, no time to go back.

"I m...miss you so much, Hiccup." They lived in the same house, the same village, shared a bed and meals, but it just wasn't the same. It wasn't as it had been.

"And now I have to go away again," he sighed, frustrated. "For at least two to three weeks, and I can't even take my wife with me!"

She nodded, sniffed. "One of us needs to be here to run things, babe."

"I must have been crazy to name you as my right hand. What was I thinking?"

She offered him a watery smile. "You were thinking you needed...someone confident, strong and intelligent to do... the job." She kissed his nose. "So, of course you chose me."

"Of course." He smiled and then growled. "I hate going away! The boats take so freaking long! I don't know why Gobber and I can't just fly there on our dragons."

"Because not all the tribes are accepting of them and you have to be diplomatic, remember?"

"I don't know how I'm going to get away without Toothless noticing. He was so angry with me last time."

"I'll take care of him, Hiccup."

"Mmmm, I know you will." He wiped at her tears. "Please don't cry anymore." She was so strong, such an amazingly strong person, it killed him when she cried; when he saw his beautiful and brave warrior this vulnerable.

He saw the lines of worry on her face then, the shadows he hadn't had time...hadn't bothered to notice before. She was determined that there was nothing she couldn't do, nothing she couldn't accomplish, but Gods, she looked tired. Tired, and drained and stressed and overwhelmed.

Why hadn't he been paying better attention to her? They were both still so young, and just because he had complete faith that nothing could rock the solid ground Astrid planted herself on, didn't mean she couldn't been shaken. She worked so hard, so damn hard for him, for their people. Why hadn't he been taking care of her properly? She was one of his people too, the most important person; he had to start thinking about her needs as he did the others.

She sighed. "I'll miss you."

He closed his eyes and held her, loving the way she felt in his arms. "Let's take tomorrow off."

She pulled back to look at him. "Excuse me?"

"Let's take the dragons and fly away somewhere for the day, just the two of us."

"Hiccup, we can't! We have..."

"Fishlegs and Mom are running the academy, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut can take care of the day to day things and Eret will manage the patrols." He cradled her face between his hands. "What's the point of being a Chief if I can't delegate?"

He kissed her, gently then gazed into her eyes, such beautiful, weary eyes. This wasn't his Astrid. This wasn't energetic spitfire with lightening in her eyes and mischief in her smile. This was someone else, someone who was working herself to death to please him, because he needed her.

He had to fix this. He had to fix them."We need this. Don't we need this?"

She nodded and tears filled her eyes again "Yeah, yeah we really do." She hugged him, hard. She'd missed spending time alone with him, so much, but she hadn't wanted to pressure him because he was so busy. "It would be great, even if it's just for a few hours."

"Then we'll pack a picnic lunch and fly over to Whistle Island to spend the day." It was close enough to Berk that if any real trouble hit they could fly back in under fifteen minutes, but was secluded enough that they could be blissfully undisturbed.

Astrid beamed at him, suddenly excited. "Oh, babe. That sounds amazing!"

And there she was, he thought in wonder. His Astrid.

He rose, pulled her to her feet. "Let's go home." He kissed her gently on the lips as their dragons moved towards them. "Start practicing that whole, baby thing, until we get it right."

She beamed at him, and together they climbed onto their dragons and took to the sky.


	4. Chapter 4

_Woo- Okay...I won't tell you. When a Chief Becomes A Father- What a great Idea! LOL. Unfortunately I already have most of this one written, but that would make a great sequel if I decide to continue. Thanks!_

_UnbreakableWarrior Thank you! I try my best. :-) _

_phnxgrl I love that you love it all so much! Thanks!_

_lorde hee hee. Thanks.  
_

_Incarnate Firefly Astrid has a whole world of feelings going on in this story. :-) As for their time off, read below. _

_Tasermon's Partner Sigh. Have I mentioned, yet again, how invaluable your reviews are. They really allow me to get deep into the story I am trying to tell and give me the courage to continue. Thank you so much!_

_So, next day and our couple are on Whistle Island. Will they be able to enjoy some much needed alone time, or will the dark hand of Loki be hanging over them, ready to inject mistchief and mayhem. Keep reading to find out! ;-)  
_

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Astrid grinned up at her husband as he leaned over her and fed her another berry, he was being delightfully attentive. "I could get used to this," she warned as she lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck. "Being tended on by a gorgeous man, while lying on a beach and being warmed by the sun."

"Ah, you are so easily pleased, Milady." He smiled and took a berry for himself. "As I don't slay dragons and have not survived any battles to the death..."

"Recently," she reminded and watched that lovely shade of pink tickle his cheeks. God, he was so adorable!

"Um...recently," he admitted as he fed her another berry.

She grinned and opened her mouth for the berry. "You're so cute when you're blushing."

"Shut up."

She giggled as his mouth descended to hers, and then sighed as she gave herself over to his kiss.

Hiccup was such an amazing kisser, she'd fretted over that originally, because she had wondered how in the name of Thor he became so good? But then she just told herself it was because he was so precise and thorough in everything he did. He was probably just a natural, as he was in so many other things.

After they had returned home last night he had made the sweetest love to her. She'd almost forgotten how nice it was to take their time and not rush. Lately, what little time they did have alone resulted in, either a quickie in the morning, or a half hearted one late in the evening because they were both too tired or much else.

But last night he made her remember how good she could feel, how good he could make her feel. He had made her feel like his woman, his wife, not just his right hand, and it had been wonderful. Astrid had always wanted to be a warrior, a Shield Maiden and nothing more. She was surprised, after marrying Hiccup, how much she also wanted to be a woman, and his wife.

Now, today, they had left at sunrise, leaving instructions for everyone with Valka, and had flown here to Whistle Island, aptly named because the wind blew around and through several different sized peaks on the island and made a delightful musical sound. It wasn't a huge island, but there was plenty of room for them, and for their dragons to go off and play without having to worry about them, or without having the dragons right on top of them.

And he seemed intent on making her feel just as much of a woman here as well. "Why, Sir, is there a..." She closed her eyes, shuddered as his mouth nestled against her pulse. "N...nefarious purpose for...you're bring me here?"

"Hmmmm." Hiccup rose to his knees, pulled off his tunic. "Simply trying to..." He stroked his hand down over her stomach, and then lower. He felt her reaction, heard her gasp. "Provide a quiet place to relax, while I lavish you with my undivided attention, Milady."

"Something else desperately needs your attention," she purred, pulling him back down for a kiss.

When they broke for air, he moved his lips to her neck, nibbled and nipped until she was aching for him. His hands slid under her tunic; they had both removed their heavy armor already, and caressed the soft skin underneath.

"Are you..." She blinked, as his hands cupped her breast and made her dizzy. "Are you t...trying to s...seduce me, Mr. Haddock?"

"No," he murmured as he lifted her top and replaced his hands with his mouth. "Trying implies a suggestion of failure." He nibbled her bellybutton. "I _am_ seducing you."

She giggled and then gasped. It amazed her how he could create such intense reactions within her with just a few kisses and caresses. He'd been right, they had needed this.

Later, after a delightfully playful and still passionate romp, they dressed again and Astrid asked. "Can we talk, babe?"

"Oh no." He slid fastened the belts of his flight suit. "That sounds ominous."

"I just wanted to...to apologize for freaking out last night."

He sighed, as he secured the wing flaps. "Astrid."

"No, come on. I have to." She stepped closer and helped him adjust his chest and shoulder armor. "I...I went off the deep end and I don't even know why, really. I just...I just got...scared."

He knew how hard that was for her to admit to. "I get scared too, Astrid. It's okay, really. Everyone's entitled to a freak out once and awhile. Look what happened to me the day of our wedding? I almost didn't marry you because I was having such a freak out."

"Yeah, I was pretty pissed that you thought it'd be that easy to get rid of me." She watched him smile and then continued. "I...I just thought that you didn't want children and...and that hurt. And then...then I was worried that I wouldn't be able to give them to you. And then, I started thinking..."

He put his fingers to her lips. "I do want children, Astrid, but I don't think we should obsess over it, that's all."

She sat to pull on her boots, released a heavy breath and nodded. "Okay. Okay, I'll try not to." She bit his lip, looked up at him, now fully dressed, and was amazed at how quickly her body responded to the sight of Chief Hiccup.

She swept his foot out from under him, rolled and had pinned him in seconds.

"Hey!"

She grinned down at him. "Now, Hiccup, you know how competitive I am." She covered his mouth with hers in a deep passionate kiss that left them breathless. "You'll can't just seduce me and expect me not to retaliate."

"O...okay."

She laughed at how easily he gave up.

Hiccup was mesmerized by the change in her and felt even guiltier for not having known she needed this sooner. Almost from the moment they had arrived on the island she had started laughing and teasing him the way she used to. She was her old self again and he hadn't realized how much he had missed her this way.

Last night had scared him, really scared him. They had never fought before, not like that, and he never wanted to fight with her like that ever again. It was so strange to realize that Astrid had doubts too. That she was as scared as he was sometimes about them, and their future.

Marriage wasn't easy, but he loved her and they had to make it work. He hadn't been ready for marriage, he hadn't been ready to be Chief and he wasn't ready to have a child! God, he wasn't ready for any of this, but it was here and it was happening and he had to make it work, because he was nothing without her.

"Hiccup?"

Pulling himself back to the present he looked up at her. "Yes, love?"

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere." He smiled, lifted his hands and teased the hem of her tunic. "I thought you were seducing me?"

"I was, but you weren't responding." She started to slide off of him, and he immediately pulled her back. "If you're not in the mood now..."

"I'm sorry," he assured and let his fingers caress her hips. "I am always in the mood for you, Astrid." Her expression said she forgave him, but was disappointed the mood was lost. "Aren't you going to ask me what I was thinking?"

"Fine." She shrugged. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking how you...we both kind of went away for awhile..."

She nodded, thrilled that it hadn't just been her noticing the changes in them. "I...I guess that's part of growing up and taking on such huge responsibility, the need to become other people."

"We'll have to work to fix that," he decided. "I miss my Astrid."

She sighed. "I miss my Hiccup."

He smiled and tugged on her braid. "I was also thinking how your hair glitters like gold in the sunshine." His hands slid under her tunic, but stayed at the lightest caress. "I was thinking how nice it is to see you smile again, really smile and have that lovely sparkle back in your eyes."

"I hate that I can't stay mad at you."

"Really?" His hands moved higher as he smiled. "I kinda like it."

She tried to stay firm, but the smile formed anyway and she slapped him hard in the chest.

"Oof!" He wheezed. "And she's back."

She threw her head back and laughed, and by Thor it felt wonderful to them both. "You're such a Hiccup."

"Never any doub...hhhmmmmm." He closed his eyes as their lips touched, then froze as a strange sound filtered towards them.

"What...what is that?"

Hiccup sat up, automatically catching her so she didn't fall backwards. "Trouble!" He rolled to his feet and quickly pulled her with him. "That's the distress horn on Berk."

"Oh no!"

They had called their dragons and were and flying back to Berk within seconds. As they neared they could see several ships flying the flag of a rival tribe in the waters around Berk. Hiccup recognized them as one he had visited some time last year; a tribe that had accused him of being like Drago and gathering a dragon army.

"Get back to Berk" he told Astrid. "Tell them to be ready for Full Colors."

She nodded and urged Stormfly faster as Hiccup flew towards the lead ship. He got close enough that they would hear him, but not necessarily near enough for any nets to reach Toothless.

"I'm Chief Haddock!" he called down to them. "What is your business on Berk?"

His response was a spear charging at him through the air, which they easily avoided.

"We have no quarrel with you and are a peaceful people."

Another spear, accompanied by a large Viking demanded.

"Give us your dragons and we will leave you in peace."

"The dragons are not ours to give. This is their home, and if you attack they will defend it."

"I am Chief Yakun of the Noman tribe. We have come to stop your dragon army!" He shook his fist at Hiccup. "We will not allow you to attack our tribe, and we have come to stop you!"

"Chief Yakun, I have spoken with you about this. Our dragons only defend. You are in no danger from them or us!"

"I have listened to your lies, and I have listened to those who speak the truth. Is it not so that you lured the Chief of the Beserker tribe here, but a few years ago, with the same tale of your 'pet' dragons? Only to turn him over to Alvin the Treacherous?"

"Dagur was mad! His own people claim it as truth. He was obsessed with one of our dragons and was trying to destroy us! Anything we did, we did in defense!"

A chorus of, "Lies! Lies! Traitor! Usurper!" came from the ships.

"Please! Let's talk about this. We can negotiate..."

Hiccup did not see the arrow coming at him from a ship to his right, until the last minute, and it sliced a gash through the leather of his suit and slashed through his skin just under his breastplate. He winced, knowing it would have been much worse if he hadn't been wearing the flight suit. He put his hand on Toothless head when the dragon growled and started to charge up a plasma blast.

"Not yet, boy."

Toothless whined.

"It's just a nick. I'm fine."

"This is your last warning, Chief Yahun." He pulled out his sword, lit the flame and lifted it high above his head. "Turn your ships around and give up this quest, or face the consequences."

"Of your peaceful dragon army?" the chief sneered.

"No, of the residents of Berk." He nudged Toothless and the dragon released a long, low growl into the air.

Within seconds the dragons of Berk responded to their Alpha's call, and the sky above filled with riders on every kind of dragon imaginable, lead by his team, the original Riders of Berk, along with, Eret, Valka and Gobber.

Hiccup watched the fear rise in the Viking's eyes, saw several of them drop their weapons and scramble for cover on their ships.

"Is this what you call peace?" Chief Yakun demanded.

"No, this is what we call defense. If you challenge us, we will defend ourselves. If you threaten our dragons, we will defend ourselves. Tell the others, we are not a threat, but nor are we defenseless. "

The men on the ships were obviously terrified, but Yakun did not want to back down. Still, the intimidation factor was high.

"If you are a man of peace you will not fire on us!" he challenged.

"I never said I was a man of peace," Hiccup growled, dangerously. He had learned his lesson with Drago. "I said we want to be left in peace and we mean no harm to others. But I am Chief of Berk, and I will protect my own. You have thirty seconds to turn your ships around, Yakun, or you'll all be swimming home."

It took them less than twenty and soon the ships were sailing in the other direction. The village riders cheered in triumph, but Hiccup didn't feel very victorious. He hated to resort to brute tactics, and he knew they would back, possibly with many more ships.

He'd been disconcerted when the man had mentioned Dagur, and decided a trip to Outcast Island was in order. He had to know if Dagur was still alive, and if he was, if he had escaped from Alvin.

He signalled with his hand and Snotlout and the twins headed after the departing ships to ensure they sailed out of Berkian waters.

Hiccup hissed and put his hand to his side, only a little alarmed when it came back covered in blood. Okay, so maybe not just a nick. Toothless rumbled in concern and tried to look back at him.

"I'm okay, boy," he whispered and doused the blade of his sword as Astrid, Valka and Fishlegs flew closer. He put his hand back at his side, hoping for a nonchalant pose, so as not to worry them.

"That was amazing!" Fishlegs crowed. "I can't believe it worked! Did you see how well everyone did? It was perfect!"

"Yeah, good job, Fish."

"Do you think they'll be back?" Astrid asked, surprised when both Hiccup and Valka answered in the affirmative. "What are we going to do?"

They could use the dragons as a scare tactic once or twice only, before they'd actually have to force them into battle. Hiccup didn't want it to come to that. He didn't want to make the dragon's fight because he wasn't Drago and also, he didn't want to see other tribes hurt because of their inability to change.

"Whatever we have to," he replied grimly. He would honor his father's last command. He would protect his own. "Tell everyone to fall out, but stay vigilant. I'm going to take a turn around the island, make sure no one made it to shore."

"I'll go with you," Astrid began.

"No, you head to the south side, check the caves. People have slipped in through there before. Take Eret and Gobber with you." Astrid nodded. "Fishlegs, you come with me."

"Sure thing, Chief."

They flew to the North side of the island, checked the area, thoroughly. Fishlegs was startled when Toothless suddenly dove for one of the taller peaks of the island and moments later landed by Gothi's secluded hut.

"Hey, why are we..." His eyes widened as Hiccup slid down off of Toothless, and almost stumbled. Fishlegs saw the blood on his Chief's hand. "You're hurt!"

"I know." Hiccup started towards the hut, not the least surprised when the elder stepped out before he reached it and beckoned his inside. "Stay, Toothless."

The older woman settled him in a chair and helped him remove his armour and the upper half of his flight suit. The arrow had sliced through the leather and his tunic, leaving a thin, painful gash just under ribcage.

Gothi tsked, indicated he remove his tunic and started gathering her supplies. She heated a small bowl of water on the fire, set a bolt of silk threat inside of it, then nudged the point of her stitching needle against the lower coals of the fire.

She used a cloth to wipe the blood from Hiccup's wound, then made him wince as she scraped the inside of the wound with a small, rounded wooden stick.

"Wh...what is that for?"

She dropped the bloody sample she had taken into a small almost flat dish, then added couple of drops from vial of bluish liquid. Hiccup watched, curious as the blood went from red to a light purple. She nodded, pleased.

"Poison?" he guessed, intrigued. "You think the arrow head had poison on it?"

She shook her head, assuring him that there was no poison.

"No? Good...that's good." He hissed as she applied a block of ice to the wound and had him hold it there. "So...how is _your_ day going?"

She smiled at him, patted his cheek affectionately, she loved to have company, no matter what the reason.

He smirked. "Yeah, it's hard to be in demand all the time."

Gothi moved to her worktable and ground some leaves and herbs with a motor and pestle.

"When are you going to come for dinner?" he asked, trying to keep his mind off the pain in his side. "You haven't seen the new place yet. We've got it built up pretty nice now."

Gothi pursed her lips, tapped her chin, then wagged her finger at him.

"No, Mom has agreed to stay out of the kitchen. We all agreed that her...talents lay elsewhere." He smiled. "I'll cook, promise."

She nodded and returned to her work.

Gothi never spoke and no one had ever asked her why. His father had claimed that even he did not know, but she communicated in other ways, enough for certain people in the village to understand her. Some called her a witch, some a healer, some just a crazy old woman, but Stoick had ensured that the village respected her, regardless of what they thought she was. After a time, she had earned her place as the tribal elder.

She was the only person, other than Gobber, that Hiccup really talked to growing up, probably because she couldn't talk back or make fun of him. Couldn't tell him to be more Viking and less of a hiccup. Over time, he had learned to listen to her, to hear her without needing to rely on her staff or translations from Gobber based on her hand gestures.

Sometimes, it was almost like she was inside his head, understanding his thoughts and he hers. It was actually similar to what he and Toothless had, although he couldn't always understand his dragon. He'd grown extremely fond of Gothi, and looked upon her more of the grandmother he never had, than an old mysterious witch that lived in their village.

Gothi retrieved the thread from the now boiling water, and the needle, then walked back to him. She met his eyes as he pulled the ice block away and offered him a piece of leather to put between his teeth. When he shook his head she gave him a small smile.

The gash wasn't long, but it was deep, so Gothi had to make several stitches. She watched Hiccup's knuckles turn white as he gripped the wooden arm of her chair, but he barely made a sound and she was proud of him for it.

Tying off the stitches, she applied the ground mixture to his wound, then wrapped a bandage several times around his middle.

"Do I need the..." Her look silenced him and he sighed. "Astrid's going to kill me."

She chuckled, patted his shoulder, and helped him on with his tunic, then his leather gear.

As he rose, she held up her hand for him to wait and went to rummage through one of her back cupboards. She returned with her hand fisted, and indicated he come down to her level. Slowly, he knelt on one knee before her and she gently pulled at his lips.

Hiccup opened his mouth and she slid some sort of leaf under his tongue, then put her fingers to his lips when he started to ask what it was. He let whatever it was, dissolve as she picked up her staff and walked around him, shaking it and making a few more hand gestures; no doubt casting a spell of protection and healing.

He shivered when the leaf completely dissolved and left a bitter taste in his mouth, just as Gothi faced him again. "Yuck."

She smiled, pulled a hard candy from her pocket and held it out. He opened his mouth again obediently and smiled, the candy tasted far better than the leaf had.

"Thank you, Gothi."

She offered him a respectful bow and he rose, noticing that most of the pain in his side had started to dull.

Now, he just had to figure out how to keep his wound from his wife, and find the time to fly to Outcast Island.

* * *

**So...what do you think of Chief Hiccup so far? Is he ready for the big leagues? **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Tasermon's Partner** Honestly! Were you standing over my shoulder when I wrote this? It's like you're in my head! AAAAHHHH! ;-)_

_**AstridHiccup** _ Lots more to come! Thanks._

_**Lorde** - Hmmm...anything is possible, in fact...quite probable. You'll just have to keep reading to see._

_**phnxgrl**– Thank you! Well...if you insist, then yes I shall continue. ;-)_

_**Ireth Elensar14** – Read Below! Read Below! ( I tried to update quick, just because of your need to know)_

_**Incarnate Firefly** – I know sometimes dialogue can be very corny, I am trying my best to act like they are all real people. As for Dagur...well, Let's see shall we?_

_This is a short one, sorry, if I included the rest it would be wayyyy too long. So, am I updating too quickly? I can space it out if you prefer :-0_

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**CHAPTER FIVE**

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Hiccup struggled not to roll his eyes as he sat on the bed and sewed a new leather patch onto the top of his flight suit. He had done the rounds on Berk, confirmed none of Yakun's men had made it ashore, then followed up with some of his usual business, before flying home.

He and Toothless flew in through their bedroom window, mostly to avoid Astrid and his mother in case they were in the house, then he pulled off his armor, top portion of his flight suit and tunic. The tunic he would repair later, the suit he needed to repair now, before his trip to Outcast Island.

Astrid came upstairs just as he had threaded the needle, and he hadn't remembered to put a new tunic on, so she had seen the bandage on his ribs the moment she walked into the bedroom.

She was livid.

"It's just a scratch," he said for the second time as he pulled the needle and thread through the leather. "I got it looked at and it's fine."

"You don't need a bandage for a scratch, Hiccup."

"I needed a few stitches." He secured the thread and bit off the end. "It doesn't hurt." Much, he added silently. He held up the suit. "What do you think? Can you tell the difference in the..."

She stalked over to him, ripped the leather away from him and tossed it on their bed. "I don't care about your stupid suit, Hiccup! You were hurt and you didn't tell me!"

"I didn't want everyone to know, Astrid. I wasn't deliberately trying to keep it from you..."

"Then why didn't you let me come with you..."

"Because you know the caves as well I do and if anyone was hiding in there, you would have found them. Fishlegs gets too nervous down there and Snotlout and the twins were following the ships. I needed you there, Astrid."

She glowered at him, furious that she couldn't argue with his logic. "You should have told me," she insisted in a calmer voice. "Did you think I wouldn't notice? Were you planning to sneak out the window the same way you came in?"

"I didn't sneak! I needed to repair my suit..."

Hiccup, please!" She stepped up to him, put her hand on his chest. "You used to talk to me..."

"I am talking to you..."

"You used to tell me everything. What you were thinking, how you were feeling, and now you don't." She curled her fingers against his skin and lowered her eyes. "I thought we were going to be who we were again? I thought we were going to try and not change so much?"

He had never told her everything, had never had the courage to tell her all of his deepest, inner most thoughts, especially the ones that centered on her. "I'm sorry. I...I seem to be doing everything wrong lately..."

"You're not doing everything wrong! You just...we're a team, remember? I can't help you if I don't know what's going on."

He regarded her quietly, warred with himself on how much to tell her. He didn't mean to keep things from her, he just didn't want her to worry, or worse, go off half-cocked for his benefit and get hurt.

Sighing, he dropped down on their bed and pulled her with him. "Okay. I...I didn't want to worry you, Astrid. I didn't want the others to see, but...mainly I didn't want to worry you." He caressed her cheek, watched the way she leaned into his touch. "We've both been so tired and so preoccupied lately and today...today was the first time in a really long while that I got to see you really smile and laugh. I didn't want to be the cause of you frowning again, and worrying and..."

"Okay." She put her fingers to his lips to cut off the rest of his words. "Then that's okay. I get why you did that, I love that you did that, but babe, like you said last night, we're not kids anymore. You don't have to keep everything to yourself and you don't have to protect me from the bad things."

"Yes I do!" He stared into her eyes. "I always have to protect you, Astrid. I...if something ever happened to you I..." Tears filled his eyes and he hated himself for it.

Too close, he had come too close to revealing the truth. He was ashamed of the truth, ashamed of the fact that if he lost Astrid, he would leave everything behind. Damn the tribe, damn tradition, he would follow her to Valhalla, or Hel or wherever the Gods deemed fit for a coward that took his own life. None of it would matter. He would suffer the torture of a thousand life times willingly, because it would be nothing compared to the pain he would feel with Astrid gone.

But Astrid had seen the truth in his eyes, before he could hide it, she had seen the raw, unyielding reality and it shook her to the core.

"Hiccup," she whispered and pulled him to her, stunned by the utter devastation in his eyes. "Oh, baby."

She knew he loved her, but this...This was beyond anything she could imagine. Men and women lost spouses every day, some even lost children. Death was a part of their culture, there was loss, grief, and then you moved on. You never languished, you never dwell on it. It was an honor to die in battle for any Viking.

How far would Hiccup go if she died? How much would he endure to be with her? How far from the Gods would he stray?

He clung to her, despised the fact that she was his biggest weakness and his greatest joy, simultaneously. He hated that she had guessed his darkest secret, he'd seen the shock in her eyes, and knew she knew. Would she leave him because of it? Because he was so weak? "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, don't leave me, please..."

"Sssshh, my love. Ssssh." She rocked him. " Hiccup. I'm your wife, I'm not going anywhere."

"I...I just love you so, so much Astrid. I...I can't even...there aren't words to..." He shook his head, fisted his hands in her hair. "And you...you are so fierce and c...competitive and sometimes you scare the crap out of me the way you...you charge into a situation with no thought to...to..." He closed his eyes against the vision of her lying battered and bloody on a battlefield. "I can't lose you. I can't!"

How long had he felt like this, she wondered? How long had he suffered in silence, always worrying that she would leave him or be killed? How long could one person suffer in such constant agony?

Going against everything she new, everything the Gods taught them, she made a vow that she knew one day she would have to break. "You won't. I'm right here. I'll always be right here." She held him, felt him tremble and tried to soothe him. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm so sorry. I...I didn't understand. I just didn't understand." She still didn't, not really. How could one person love another that much? How was it possible to feel such enduring love and fear such ultimate sorrow?

He held her for a while longer then pulled back, wiped at his face. "Gods!" he growled, frustrated. "Why does this keep happening to me? Why can't I be more like Dad?"

"How do you mean?"

"Strong, impassive, stoic."

"Well, you are strong, and sometimes you can be stoic, but if you were impassive, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you." She kissed him, once, twice. "And I'm kinda fond of my husband, just as he is."

He smirked and released a shuddering breath. "I...I won't do it again. If I'm hurt, I...I won't keep it from you again."

She nodded. "Good." She reached for the leather breastplate and examined his stitching. "This should hold well enough. What about your shirt?"

"I'll sew it later, I have a spare."

"Okay. So you were repairing this right away for a reason. What else don't I know?"

May as well jump in with both feet, he decided. "Yakun mentioned Dagur." He watched her expression turn stony. "Somehow they knew about what happened with him and Alvin, well, a polluted version of what happened anyway."

"Dagur is dead, Hiccup. Alvin had him executed."

Hiccup rose, rubbed at his forehead. "I know that's what Alvin told us happened, but it wouldn't be the first time he lied to us."

"But he's our ally now, it makes no sense for him to lie about Dagur."

"I know. I know that, but, Astrid...somehow other people found what happened there. Now, the Beserkers that had been with Dagur fled when we defeated him, they couldn't have known that we left him with Alvin. Yakun knew, someone told him and no matter how misconstrued the message was, the only way for him to have known, is..."

"If Dagur escaped Outcast Island and told them himself."

He nodded, grimly. "I have to go Outcast Island. I have to see Alvin."

"We haven't heard from him in almost two years, Hiccup." Her eyes widened at the thought. "You...do you think if Dagur escaped then Alvin is...is dead?"

"I don't know."

"It could be a trap. They could have said those things to deliberately lure you there."

"Yes."

"Do you think it is a trap?"

"I don't have any answers, only questions. I'm going to have to cancel my trip to see the Mobias Tribe. This takes precedence."

"Of course." She nodded and considered what she had just learned. At war with her need to do battle, to protect him as much as he obviously needed to protect her, she finally said. "I...I guess you'll want me to stay here."

"No."

She blinked, surprised.

"You're my secret weapon. If there is a trap, people will assume that, because you are now my wife, you will be staying here. I want you and Snotlout to fly in twenty minutes behind me. Make sure you aren't seen. If it is a trap, I'll need you to get me and Toothless out."

The fact that despite his desperate fear he was willing to let her do this with him, that he still had faith in her to protect him filled her with pride and joy. "I'll get your satchel ready and tell Snotlout."

He nodded and watched her leave. The urge to fly off immediately, to keep her far, far away from Outcast Island almost swamped him, but he pushed it back. She understood now, at least partially what it would do to him if she was killed. Astrid was strong. She was quick and stealthy and an excellent strategist, and now that she knew his secret, he had to trust that she wouldn't take any unnecessary risks with her life. He had to believe that she loved him enough, wanted to protect him enough, that she would also protect herself.

He wanted his wife to stay on Berk, to be safe and secure and away from danger, but he needed his warrior, his teammate and his right hand to make his plan work.

"Odin guide us," he murmured and pulled on a clean tunic.


	6. Chapter 6

This is just a quick chapter. Thanks for the reviews, I hope you enjoy it.

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**CHAPTER SIX**

Hiccup and Toothless flew over Outcast Island, searching for signs of life and finding none. They took one more pass, then landed. It was eerily quiet, too quiet.

Toothless growled as Hiccup slid off him and pulled out his sword.

"I know, Bud. I don't like it either, but we have to check." He didn't call out to Alvin; he didn't want to alert anyone to his presence, in case Alvin was no longer in charge of the island. Of course, he suspected anyone still in residence already knew he was there.

Toothless walked close to Hiccup as they searched the main square and the handful of houses. Nothing, and based on the signs of neglect it had been some while since anyone had used them. He could see Alvin's house at the top of the peak, but decided to check the caverns first. He was here to see if Dagur was alive or dead, and if he was alive, the caverns where Alvin preferred to keep prisoners seemed the logical choice.

Slipping inside one of the openings he had remembered from previous trips, he made his way into the steep, stone staircase leading to the catacombs. Darkness, pure pitch black greeted them and not a sound came from below.

He grabbed a torch off the wall, had Toothless light it, then lit his sword and slowly proceeded. Toothless growled again, and Hiccup wondered if the dragon was remembering the time they had both spent as Alvin's prisoner down here.

It was damp, cold, and the smell... Toothless sneezed and whined at the unpleasantness. Hiccup didn't much care for the stench either, but growing up with Vikings he had learned to ignore that sense, for the most part.

Down, down, down they went, until the space opened to reveal several large cells. So familiar, yet so unbearably quiet. Something was definitely wrong here.

"Give us some more light bud."

Toothless released a soft plasma blast and as the light refracted off the walls Hiccup gasped at the piles of stark, white bones that littered the floor.

"Stay here, Toothless." The dragon whined, but obeyed, as his rider carefully stepped around the skeletal Viking remains littering the floor. They had been stripped of their clothing and valuables, but had once been human. Most seemed to have their skulls or rib cages cleaved in two.

"Thor help us," he whispered at the sheer horror of wasted life that surrounded him.

He lit several wall torches, tried to avoid the remains of the dead as he checked each cell and shook his head. That accounted for the smell. Dragons. Each cell held a different decomposing dragon. Some were pinned to the walls, some to the floor, some bound, but all of them dead. They had been hacked to pieces, for their wings, their teeth, their scales.

The last cell contained multiple Terrible Terrors. He pulled open the door, stepped inside and moaned at their tiny bodies, which had been spiked to the walls around the cell, their mouths wrapped shut, their claws and eyes removed. They'd been tortured.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry."

Who had done this? Dagur? No, he couldn't see even the deranged Berserker being this brutal, this...sadistic.

"P...le..ase."

Hiccup swung around, his sword at the ready towards the last cell and saw a withered, tattered form in the very far corner. He noticed that this cell was the only one that was still locked and he took care of that with his sword. Pulling the door wide, he stepped through cautiously. The remains of rats littered the floor around the figure.

He moved closer and his torch revealed bare, stark emancipated legs and arms, and a slumped distorted torso. Long dark hair shaded the face, facial hair mixing with the top to remove any possibility of which was what.

"Mildew?"

When the creature raised his head Hiccup's eyes widened in shock and horror.

"Yo...you...c...cam...came."

The man started to cry and Hiccup moved forward without hesitation. He sliced through the manacles holding the man to the wall, then doused his sword and attached it to his hip as he slid an arm under the prisoner's shoulders.

"Toothless!" He couldn't be bothered trying to shield the dragon now, he needed his friend's help.

The Night Fury dashed forward, in automatic response to his rider's command, but then flattened his ears and cried when he witnessed the horror around him.

"I know, boy." Hiccup pushed the man onto Toothless' back then climbed up behind him. "Out, Toothless. Fast!"

Once they were back outside, the prisoner who had been left for dead cried out as the sunlight pierced his skull after so much time in the darkness. In sympathy, Hiccup pulled a scarf from out of one of his many pockets and wrapped it around the man's eyes.

"T...than...thank you."

"Let's head home, Bud. There's nothing for us..." He spotted a movement in the window of Alvin's house on the peak. He'd found one survivor, could there be another?

"Let's check out Alvin's house, Toothless."

The Night Fury flew to the peak that housed the Chief's house and Hiccup checked the sky for any sign of Astrid or Snotlout. Had it been twenty minutes? They'd be here soon, probably.

They landed and Hiccup stepped off.

"Stay here, Toothless."

The dragon argued heatedly.

"There isn't room for you in there," he said, having been in Alvin's home once before. The outcast leader had been as large as his father, but he lived in a very small house. "If someone is inside you wouldn't be able to move well."

Toothless whined.

"I'll be okay."

The moaning man reached for him. "N...no."

Hiccup looked at him and felt a shiver of cold run down his back. It could be a trap, most probably was, but he had to check. Besides, Astrid and Snotlout would be here at any moment, and if there was trouble, he'd just have to find a way to get out the window where Toothless was.

Hiccup lit his sword and entered the house belonging to the Leader of the Outcasts. It was the same in here, quiet, full of cobwebs and obvious neglect. The only difference than the other houses was that someone was still seated at the table, an arrow through their chest, or what was left of their chest. A single lit candle sat beside him, giving the dead man an unearthly glow.

Hiccup recognized the skeletal form as Alvin the Treacherous because they had left his clothes on. "Crap," he sighed and berated himself for not checking on Outcast Island before now. Alvin had probably been dead as long as his men, a year, maybe more.

A movement caught the corner of his eye and he spun around just as a hard fist connected to his jaw. His sword scattered across the floor towards the corner, but he rolled to the left as the intruder pounced on him, and scrambled over to the table. He reached up, his hand gripping a fry pan and swung it at the Viking charging him.

The clang of bone on metal rung in his ears, as he dove for where his sword had fallen. The man was on him almost immediately, leaping onto his back and knocking his breath from his body. His hand managed to punch his back fin, catching his assailant by the surprise as the hard fabric poked him in the face. Hiccup rolled, coming up with his sword in his hand and turned.

"Who sent you here?" Hiccup demanded. "Who is responsible for this slaughter?"

Toothless blasted a hole in the other side of the house to get inside, leapt in front of Hiccup, and growled protectively as he shielded his rider,

The Viking rose, smiled, and then grabbed the lit candle from the table and tossed it towards the corner.

Hiccup's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. "Toothless!"

Stormfly and Hookfang neared Outcast Island and swooped lower to avoid being seen.

"I don't see anyone," Astrid warned. "Stay alert."

"I don't even see Hic..."

Both their dragons cried out in alarm as an explosion sounded from below, almost throwing their riders, as two forms, one small, one large was blasted through the roof of a house on the peak and into the air.

"HICCUP!" Astrid screamed and urged Stormfly faster over the water, catching her husband's leg just before he hit the waves. "Hicccup!" There was no response as Stormfly adjusted her hold to grasp the Chief of Berk by his two arms.

Hookfang and Snotlout dove into the water as Toothless hit, then came up a moment later gripping the unconscious Night Fury.

Both riders carefully landed and Astrid scrambled off of Stormfly to rush to Hiccup. She hissed as her hand touched his still steaming armor. The leather of his flight suit was shredded, along with his tunic and most of his leggings, leaving red welted patches of burned skin exposed. Was he dead?

"Oh my Gods!" Snotlout cried as he slid to his knees beside her. "Where's his leg? Where's his leg?"

Astrid tried to cradle her husband and noticed that Hiccup's prosthetic had been blow off. "I...I don't know." She looked up at the burning house above them and started to rise. "I'll get it."

Snotlout caught her before she could move any further. "Forget it. We have to get him back to Berk."

"But...his leg...he...He worked so hard..." Hiccup hated for anyone to see him without his leg. They couldn't fly back to Berk without his leg. He'd be so embarrassed.

Snotlout realized that Astrid was going into shock and shook her, hard. "It's gone. Astrid! It's gone. We have to get help for Hiccup!"

She stared at him dazed as she felt herself start to shut down, start to die. "He's gone?"

"No, Hiccup's alive." At least he hoped his friend was, he hadn't checked yet. "Astrid we have to go, now come on!"

He hurried over to where Hookfang and Stormfly were trying to nudge Toothless awake. "Come on, Buddy. Wake up, Hiccup needs you."

The Night Fury stirred, bolted up shaking his head and growling, before realizing where he was and who they were.

"It's okay, Toothless. It's just us." He reached up to the now dazed Night Fury. "Are you okay to fly, bud?"

Toothless stared at him, shook his head again, trying to rid himself of the ringing in his ears, then spotted Hiccup on the ground by Astrid. He roared in sorrow and ran to his rider, sniffing him and nudging him, whimpering when Hiccup didn't respond.

"Astrid, can you fly Toothless back?" Snotlout asked as he carefully placed their injured chief over the Night Fury's back. "Astrid!"

Astrid started and managed to focus. "What?"

"You need to fly Toothless! He can't make it on his own."

She nodded, felt some of her focus returning, and with it, her fear for Hiccup. "Yes. Yes, okay." She climbed into the saddle, careful of the form draped in front of her and urged Toothless into the air. The dragon was a little off kilter at first, but finally managed to straighten out.

Snotlout hopped onto Hookfang, then heard a moan behind him. He turned and spotted the withered man crawling towards them. "Who the Thor are you?" he demanded, as he dropped down, tossed the man onto his dragon and then flew off after Toothless, with Stormfly following close behind.

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**_I don't know if they really had gunpowder of anything that they could explode back then, but I needed a spectacular scene for Astrid to witness. Poetic License fully in use. :-)_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sasquatchgaming **– To prevent premature Death- I have uploaded a new chapter._

_**Guest** – Hi! Yes, I did write that Dagur was killed in another story, and thank you kindly for reading it! That was a different story than this one or it's prequel ' When a Boy Becomes A Man'. So a different timeline all together._

_**Suicide** – Thanks for the notes. I have corrected it that he uses a lit candle instead. Still not ideal, but I as I said, 'Poetic Licence' ;-). I appreciate your feedback._

_**Lorde** – OKAY!_

_**Incarnate Firefly** – All these questions and more will be answered in the chapter below and thank you for asking them, keeps me on my toes. (actually, a few will be answered in the following chapter, sorry ;-) )  
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_**phnxgrl**- Yes, that explosion scene was stuck in my head for weeks and seemed very vivid to me. I am glad you liked how I wrote it._

_**RangerZoe** (hands over tissues) Come now, stiff upper lip and all that...You'll be fine. :)  
_

_**morfowt-** Thank you! For more Snotlout, see below._

_**Tasermon's Partner**- Do you have cameras in my room? ;-0 As always, thank you so so much for all your positive feedback.  
_

_**Clare**- Because you asked about Snotlout and his father, and it was a valid point, I added a scene to this chapter, just for you. Enjoy!_

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Snotlout entered his house and immediately started pulling off his armor. Ruffnut walked to her husband.

"How is he?"

"He's bad." Snotlout moved to his barrel of ale and poured himself a generous helping. "Gods, Ruff, he flew. He just...flew." Snotlout closed his eyes, felt firm hands take hold of his shoulders and begin to need and caress. "I've seen Hiccup in a lot of dangerous situations, seen him battle dragons and Vikings and Thor's lightening itself, but I always knew he'd be okay. I mean he may be hurt but he's always okay..." He shook his head. "I've never seen anything like that."

"Hey, he's puny but he's tough. He'll make it through."

"Better that he don't."

Snotlout opened his eyes to glare at the invalid in the corner and curled his hand into a fist. His father had been blinded when Drago attacked three years ago, and now spent his days feeling sorry for himself and forcing his son and daughter-in-law to tend on him. He wouldn't leave the house, wouldn't take part in anything.

Hiccup had tried to visit him several times, after the incident, but Spitelout refused to see him. He was bitter that Hiccup had become Chief, blamed Hiccup for Drago's attack and Stoick's death.

"We've already lost one Chief, Dad," Snotlout reasoned, trying hard to maintain what little respect he had left for the man who birthed him.

"Stoick was a good man, but he let that runt of his take over this village." Spitelout snarled. "We were all better of the way it was before, when dragons were our enemies."

"You didn't feel that way when you were riding one!" Ruffnut snapped as she scooped up supper for them out of the pot.

"I'm just saying that if Stoick's boy doesn't make it, your husband would be the next Chief! Isn't that something to think about?"

"Dad, Hiccup is Chief!" Snotlout exclaimed slamming his tankard on the table. "And you have to stop talking like that! Do you want to be banished, like Alvin? Do you know what will happen if someone hears you say those things?"

"No one here but my family, and I can say what I like..."

"He's your family!" Ruffnut growled pointing at Snotlout. "I'm not. Hiccup is my friend and I won't listen to this crap from you any longer!" She dropped the bowls on the table and stormed out.

Snotlout was torn between his loyalty to his father and his wife. "Dad, please. You have to stop."

"I just want what's best for you boy! As Chief you could..."

"You want what's best for you!" He screamed, furious. "It's always been about you. He saved your life, Dad! He saved all of our lives!"

"You call this life!" Spitelout cried, pointing at his unseeing eyes. "You call this living? That boy is as much to blame for this as that fool Drago. He brought this on us, Snotlout. Him and that pet dragon of his."

Snotlout rose, shook his head. His father had always been hard to get along with, had always pushed for him to be the best and to consider everyone else competition. Now, that drive, that sense of lost entitlement has made him an angry, bitter old man.

"I'm going to find my wife. Get your own supper." Snotlout stepped out, closed his eyes against his father's rants and then pleas for help.

He remembered years ago during the Thawfest games how afraid he had been of losing to Hiccup, all because his father said that a Jorgenson never lost the games. His father had always pushed him to be the best and he wouldn't have stood for someone like Hiccup beating his son. Snotlout knew that Hiccup had thrown the race for him, knew it, but pretended that he really won, because that was what his father had wanted. He realized he'd never thanked Hiccup for that act of friendship.

Ruffnut hadn't gone far, just down the road a ways. He walked to her, put his arms around her. "Sorry, love."

"Hey, we promised good times and bad, right?" She shrugged. "I guess that even covers that bitter old bastards."

"He's angry. He's angry he isn't the man he once was and I'm not the son he wanted me to be."

"You're better than what he wanted you to be, Snot. You're a better man than he'll ever be." She sighed."I get that he's your father, I know it's our place to care for him, but I really hate him."

"He feels helpless. He doesn't mean it."

"How do you know? How do you know that he hasn't gone over the deep end? He's obsessed about you being Chief, Snot, and you can't be."

Snotlout sighed.

"Or...do you want to be Chief?" She turned to him. "I know you were always jealous of Hiccup..."

"I wouldn't say that..."

"You were. You always felt you were the better man."

He smiled. "Hey, I am the better man."

"I know."

She had considered a romance with Hiccup very briefly after he became so proficient with the dragons, and especially after he defeated the dragon queen, but Astrid had made it pretty clear to her then that Hiccup was off limits. Because they were friends, and because she knew Astrid could kick her ass, Ruffnut agreed. Besides, it was pretty obvious that Hiccup only had eyes for Astrid. He was like a love sick puppy around her and had been for years.

"It took me a little while, but I figured out you were right."

He kissed her.

"But Hiccup is Chief."

"He is."  
"Are you...Do you still resent him for that?"

Snotlout released her. "Yeah, well, I did. For a long time, I thought it was just luck the way he made things work, but it wasn't luck. He's smart and intuitive. I would be a good Chief, Ruff, but I wouldn't be the Chief Berk needs." He leaned against a cart and stared up at the sky. "I always thought I was better than him, maybe that is because of my Dad, but I realized we're both better men, just in different ways."

She slid her hands around his waist. "He'd be happy to hear you say that."

"Yeah, well, if you say a word to him I'll deny it to my dying day."

She smiled, rested her head against his shoulder. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"I don't know, Ruff. I really, really don't."

"Then all we can do is pray."

He nodded and held her close, closed his eyes and did just that.

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Valka carefully applied the herbal creams that Gothi had given her for Hiccup's burns as Astrid changed the bandage of his arrow wound, which had been reopened in the blast and had needed to be stitched again. She watched the way Astrid looked at her, worry and concern marring the young woman's brow.

"I'm fine now," Valka assured.

It was a lie of course, she was anything but fine.

When she watched Snotlout carry her battered son into their home she had near lost her mind. She had ranted at him and Astrid both, accused them of not protecting her son. Blamed them for what happened. What else could she do? A mother doesn't expect to see her child looking so...so shattered. She had only just found him and now she was terrified of losing him.

Fishlegs who had been there when the riders returned had wrapped an arm around her, tried to soothe her until her sense returned. It was only then, when she had managed to crawl out of the quicksand of her grief, that she noticed how Snotlout trembled as he placed Hiccup so very carefully on the bed.

She was also able to focus on the tears in Fishlegs' eyes and worst of all, the despair in Astrid's. Her daughter-in-law vibrated with fear and grief, while she and Snotlout started to remove what was left of Hiccup's clothing. Astrid was shaking so badly that it was as if a quake had hit right under her feet.

Gothi was sent for, as well as the elder's apprentice. The old woman and younger man immediately ordered a tub of warm water be prepared and for Hiccup to be placed inside of it. They had to thoroughly clean any dirt or debris from the cuts, burns and abrasions on his skin.

Valka had calmed down enough to help Astrid bathe her son, then Gothi's apprentice and Fishlegs placed Hiccup back on the bed so that Gothi and could tend to him. She did what she could, and her apprentice advised the burns had been minor, but Hiccup had suffered a broken wrist and three broken ribs.

It was the concussion that worried Gothi most, and the fear of fever taking hold of Hiccup. He had to be watched closely for the next day or so, his dressings regularly changed, the creams applied twice a day, but other than that, it was simply up to the Gods if he lived through it.

Valka set the herbal cream aside and reached across for Astrid's hand. The young woman was seated on the bed beside her husband. "Why don't you try to get some sleep?"

Astrid shook her head, she wouldn't sleep. She might never sleep again. She couldn't get the vision of Hiccup being blown from that house out of her mind.

"Why won't he wake up?" she whispered as caressed Hiccup's cheek.

"He will."

"When?"

"When he's ready." Valka hoped that was true.

Knowing Astrid would probably not sleep, and nor would she, she tried to turn the conversation to something more positive. She pulled a chair over to the bed, stepping over Toothless' tail as he curled on the floor by the bed.

"Tell me something about him?"

Astrid glanced at her. "About Hiccup?"

"Yes. He never talks about himself, well, not to me anyway." She shook her head sadly. "I guess it's because I'm his mother."

Astrid smirked. "It's not just you." She sighed and folded her fingers between his. "He doesn't talk about himself much to anyone."

"But you know him, you grew up with him."

"Well, sure, but..." Astrid scowled and felt the flush of guilt. "We...we weren't close or anything."

"Please, Astrid? I need to know...something. I feel like I hardly know him and if he..." Valka put her hand to her mouth to block the sob that rose from it. "I...I don't want my son to...to die and not...know him."

"He won't die," Astrid refused, unwilling to accept the alternative. "He's strong, he'll get through this."

Both women studied the sleeping Chief.

"What do you want to know?" Astrid asked.

"What was he like as a child?"

"Clumsy. Irritating," she answered honestly. "I don't think he meant to be, he was just always trying to be like everyone else and," She shrugged. "He wasn't. He had a habit of making a bad situation worse, but he didn't mean to do it." She smirked. "He got yelled at a lot."

Valka sighed, her poor boy. "I...I suppose he was trying to be like his father."

"That was part of it, sure. I think, maybe, he was just trying to figure out who he was." Astrid shook her head. "It wasn't easy. Most of us had a pretty solid sense of who we were, because of who our parents were. We just kind of followed tradition, but Hiccup..."

"He was different." Valka remembered how difficult it had been for her living on Berk, and having the feelings she had, especially about dragons. "I never should have stayed away."

"He wouldn't want you to blame yourself, Mom," Astrid assured gently. "That is the last thing he'd want you to do."

"I know, and I know that's why he tries to shelter me from these sorts of things, why he won't talk to me about his childhood, but I'm his mother, Astrid. Regardless of how it makes me feel, I need to know these things."

Astrid nodded. "I understand."

"He may be angry for you telling me."

Astrid sniffed. "I can handle him." She pulled Hiccup's hand into hers. "He never stays angry." She paused. "He never really gets angry. Annoyed, sure, frustrated, but I think I've only ever seen him really angry twice before."

"When was that?"

"Well, after Stoick found out about Toothless and the dragon's nest, he decided to take his men to the nest to get rid of the dragons once and for all. Hiccup tried to talk him out of it, we'd seen the queen and she was...well...unlike anything anyone had ever faced before. Stoick wouldn't listen." Astrid nodded as she recalled Hiccup's reaction right after the altercation with his father. "He was angry then. Really, really angry, because his dad wouldn't listen and because Stoick took Toothless with him."

"And the other time?" Valka asked, curious.

Astrid turned, met her gaze. "There was a time, a few years back, we were all doing a training exercise and one of the riders got careless," Astrid admitted softly. "I got knocked off my dragon, probably would have been killed if Hiccup and Toothhless hadn't caught me."

She remembered his rage and how he stood up to Snotlout in a way he never had before. Snotlout had been grounded, and Hiccup had stuck to it, even when Snotlout deliberately disobeyed that order too. He actually took Hookfang away from his rider.

She smiled as that was when she knew he really and truly cared for her, that's pretty much when everyone knew. "He was really, really angry."

"He can hardly be blamed for either time."

"No."

"What's his favourite food, Astrid? I've asked him a dozen times and he will never tell me." She chuckled. "I think he's afraid I'll try to cook it."

Astrid managed a smile. "I don't think he has one. I know his least favourite is eel, but he'll eat pretty much whatever else you give him."

"Was he very lonely as a child?"

"Mom," Astrid sighed. "Don't do this to yourself."

"I have to know, Astrid."

"I don't know." Valka scowled at her. "Honestly. Hiccup was just Hiccup. He did some things with the community, usually things Stoick ordered him to do, but mostly he did his own thing. And when he was around others he was always kind of joking or...or being sarcastic, so..." She shrugged. "He doesn't really talk about it. Stoick was away a lot and he spent most of his time with Gobber. None of us kids really hung out with him and everyone else just...well they treated him like a Chief's son, with respect but...separate from everyone."

"I see."

"But, then he found Toothless and everything changed for the better."

Valka nodded, solemnly. Her gaze travelled over her son's form under the blankets. "He'll need a new leg."

"Yeah." Astrid nodded. "He's not going to be happy about losing it."

"He has the designs for it still doesn't he?" Valka asked, rising. She needed something to do or she was going to start sobbing again. Talking like he was going to make it through this was the only option, for both of them. "Maybe Gobber and I can figure something out."

"You can check his journals, they're on his desk. He might have a diagram of it in one of those."

Valka moved into the other room and started to shuffle through the papers and books.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you all for the great reviews, so very, very glad you are enjoying it and since so many of you are unable to stand the suspense, here is another short chapter to tide you over. Cheers!_

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Valka sat by her son's bed watching him sleep. It had been two days since the explosion that nearly took his life. He had not regained full consciousness, but the fever that had been raging in him for over a day caused him to cry out on occasion, as he was caught in a hallucinogenic nightmare, or worse, memories of his past.

When the fever persisted Gothi had ordered him surrounded him with blocks of ice, hoping to rend the fever from him, but she wasn't sure which was worse, watching her son hallucinate and rage with fever or watching him moan and whimper as his thin body shivered convulsively against the cold of the ice.

Everyone was taking turns sitting with him, in case he woke. Astrid would be here to relieve her soon, she had finally managed to wrangle Toothless from his rider's side to give the dragon a chance to stretch his wings and fly for a bit.

The Chief's wife hadn't wanted to leave her husband's side, but there was still a village to be run and it was up to Astrid now to do it. She was in charge until Hiccup recovered, so she took care of what had to be done during the day, then returned to stay with him through the evenings. Valka suspected that the young woman needed to focus on the mundane tasks, on keeping busy, to keep from falling apart.

Valka bit the thread to seal her last stitch and ran her hand over the smooth leather. Hiccup's flight suit had been destroyed by the explosion that almost killed him and his dragon, so she was making him a new one, for when he woke up. She also needed to keep busy.

"More," Hiccup moaned.

Valka sat forward, caressed his brow, which sometimes settled him through his delusions. "What, love. Do you want some water?"

"Cold." In his semi conscious state he tried to push the ice off his bare, feverish body.

"No, son." She pulled the ice back against him. "You need to keep it on you."

"Hot."

Valka shook his head, sadly. She could only imagine the hell it must be for him to have his body temperature constantly changing. "Sshhh, it will all be better soon. I promise."

"More..."

"What do you want, Hiccup? What can I get you?"

"More...Dad...Not...no more...me."

Oh no, she thought. Not again. "Ssssh, son. You're okay."

"No...Less of me...Less of me...more of him." His breath hitched on a sob as his arms flailed out, knocking several blocks of ice to the floor again. "Just...gestured...all of me."

Valka rose and dipped a cloth into a bowl of water then returned and bathed the sweat from his face. She wished she understood where his heart wrenching ramblings came from, but she could only assume they were from his childhood; something he refused to talk about. Astrid had said that Hiccup had been different, and she knew how hard that had been on her as an adult, she couldn't imagine what it must have been like for him as a child.

"That's all done now, Hiccup. You're home and you're safe..."

"No...NO!" Hiccup twisted violently on the bed and Valka put her hands on his arms to try and keep him still, and prevent him from further injuring himself.

"I'm here, Hiccup. Your mother is right here, baby."

"You're not...my mother's dead...you're not my mother!" His body clenched as he wrenched an arm free and slapped at her hard enough that she stumbled backwards into the wall.

"Tuff!" she cried, blinked back her tears, jumped back up and tried to catch hold of Hiccup again as her son started to thrash. "Tuff!"

Each of the riders took turns staying downstairs in the house in case Hiccup became violent again. He'd had a very bad spell yesterday, and had been trying to bite and kick and scratch, as if a demon was possessing him.

"For the love of Thor, Hiccup! You're all right!"

"Help me! Dad! Dad, help me! My leg! My leg is gone!" Hiccup screamed as the blond-haired twin hurried into the bedroom area and put his hands on Hiccup to keep his lower body still as Valka continued to hold the upper.

"How long?" Tuffnut asked grimly, aware he was probably leaving bruises on Hiccup's upper legs as he tried to hold him down; the Chief was a lot stronger than he looked.

"It just started." Valka blinked at her tears, he sounded so lost, so alone and desperate. "My Gods, what have I done?" She pressed as hard as she could on Hiccup's arms, unable to touch his torso because of his injured ribs and multiple burns. "Hiccup. Hiccup, please you have to calm down."

Hiccup continued to flay in his delirium. "Prove myself...can do this...I'm sorry, Dad. Sorry...sorry not...good...son."

"He doesn't know what he's saying, Valka," Tuffnut offered kindly as he kept a firm grip on his friend. "Don't listen to it. He doesn't mean any of it."

"She likes me...she can't like me. I'm no...nothing.. Less...less..." Hiccup flinched as if he had been hit by an unseen force. "W...Why would you...do that?"

Valka wished Astrid would get here, she seemed to be the only one that could calm Hiccup in this state.

"Dragon...kill the dragon...bring him...the heart...for...for my father...for my _father_!" Tears ran down Hiccup's fevered face. "I can't...I can't...I'm sorry Dad, I can't...NO! He's my friend...Don't hurt him!"

"Hiccup!" Tuffnut said, trying to reach his friend. "You're fine, buddy. Toothless is fine. No one is going to hurt him."

"Dad...Gobber...Snot...listen...no one lis...listens!"

"We are listening, Hiccup!" Valka cried as tears ran steadily down her face."We're here, my sweet boy. We're all listening." Her heart and her conscience simply couldn't take what she was hearing.

"Well, actually, he got the last one right. Snotlout rarely listens, but then I don't much either and..."

Astrid hurried in, interrupting Tuffnut's totally inappropriate rant. She had heard her husband's cries before she and Toothless had even landed, and had flown in through the loft window. Neatly avoiding Hiccup's desk and cabinets and then jumping off Toothless to hurry to the bedroom side.

Toothless was right behind her and whined in distress as he saw the state of his rider. He immediately nudged in front of Valka and carefully dropped his head across Hiccup's chest, managing to pin the Chief's arms in the process. He placed a paw across his friend's leg, stilling the movement there as well.

Valka stepped back, exhausted and relieved that at least her son couldn't hurt himself now, he wouldn't get out from under Toothless, and the dragon was careful to avoid Hiccup's ribs.

Astrid crawled onto the bed beside Hiccup, uncaring about the small bit of ice that remained as she wrapped her body around him from the other side so that Hiccup was cocooned between his wife and his dragon.

"I'm here, babe. I'm here." She kissed Hiccup's fevered brow, ran her hand over his hair. "I'm right here."

"Don't...can't be chief...Dad...Toothless don't...Dad... NO!"

Toothless' ears flattened and he whimpered, sharing the memory of his rider, but he did not lift his head.

"Toothless is right here, Hiccup." Astrid pulled Hiccup's good hand out from beneath the Night Fury and put it on Toothless' head, watched how even in a delirious, semi-conscious state, Hiccup's fisted hand immediately flattened against the dragon's scales; as if a in caress. "We're all right here with you."

"As...Astrid."

"Right here, babe. Not going anywhere."

"Save them...save them." He moaned pitiably. "They're dead. They're all dead..."

"No babe, you saved them. You saved all of us."

Her words finally registered with him and Hiccup seemed to relax. "As...Astrid."

"I'm here. I love you."

"Astrid...loves me..."

"You bet your sweet ass she does." Astrid continued to kiss and soothe him as Valka and Ruffnut sighed in relief. Toothless cautiously lifted his head and paw from Hiccup, satisfied that the trashing had stopped. He moaned, nudged Hiccup's cheek, then crawled up on the bed and settled protectively across the bottom.

"I...need a drink," Valka decided.

"Me too." Tuffnut put his arm around her and led her downstairs.

Astrid continued to caress her husband's fevered brow and quietly began to sing.

_**Where once I saw a strapping lad, so strong and sure was he**_

_**I felt he we were so much alike, he was surely meant for me**_

_**But then one day a stranger came, so beautiful and bold**_

_**I knew then that my strapping lad was not for me to hold**_

_**This stranger had such careful ways, such dreams and plans he raved**_

_**And when his eyes cast into mine, I knew that I was saved**_

_**Oh Thor and Mighty Odin, I trust in what you see**_

_**I thank you now forever for the love you've sent to me.**_

Hiccup sighed against her and she could tell he was finally asleep again. Astrid carefully rose, walked around the bed and started to replace the ice around her husband's body. She touched his face, scowled that he was still so hot, then picked up the cloth on the floor, dipped it in the bowl of water and bathed his brow.

"You need to wake up, babe," she murmured. "I need you to wake up."

Hiccup made no response.

"I'm taking care of what I can, but we need you." She dipped the cloth, wrung it between her hands then applied it to his face again. "I need you. Gods, Hiccup. I really need you to come back to me. I can't do any of this without you."

She understood, finally, the love he had for her, the desperation he felt at the idea of losing her. For now she felt exactly the same.

She felt a sudden rush of sickness overcome her. "What..." She rose, surprised to find herself dizzy, then dropped like a stone on the floor.

* * *

**_hee..hee..sorry! I couldn't resist giving you a real cliffhanger.;-) the song is just something I made up BTW.  
_**


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you! Thank you all for the reviews and for your support and patience here is another chapter, a little bit longer, for your reading enjoyment._

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Astrid carefully rose from her husband's side and stretched. He had fallen peaceful again after yet another bout of hallucinations. It was well after dark, and Tuff had wandered home while Gobber offered to stay the rest of the night if needed.

Everyone offered her encouraging words, claiming that Hiccup had been in far worse situations, reminding her of the Queen dragon, being kidnapped by Alvin, struck by lightning and he'd fallen off that bleeding dragon of his a dozen times or more and hadn't yet broken his neck. Astrid didn't have to heart to correct the last one; to tell them that most of the time, Hiccup 'fell' off Toothless on purpose. They'd definitely think he was crazy then.

But Hiccup hadn't been this bad off last time. He had lost his leg, sure, but afterwards he was still on one piece, mostly. He had still looked like Hiccup after the battle, still had his clothes intact and no real wounds visible. And sure he had been unconscious or semi-conscious for over a week, but that had been a relatively quiet time. He hadn't had terrifying delusions or fits of panic and anger.

With the explosion... She rubbed her arms as a wave of cold settled around her. A doll, was what he had reminded her of. A broken, shattered, beaten and bloody doll. She would never forget it, never forget how frail, how vulnerable he had looked in her arms.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed back the tears and moved across the loft to the stairs. Maybe some tea would help settle her.

Climbing down she spotted Valka seated at the table reading, with a single lantern lit. Gobber was on the floor, snoring quietly; well, quiet for Gobber anyway.

"Mom, you should be in bed."

Valka physically jumped and turned to look at her daughter-in-law. "I...I thought you were asleep."

"No." She moved to the fireplace for the kettle already steaming over it and poured herself some "special' tea. She hurt in places she didn't know she had tonight.

"Are you feeling better dear? You took ten years off my life when I heard that thud coming from upstairs and ran up to see you on the floor."

"I just stood up too fast."

"You're doing too much, Astrid. You should slow down and rest."

"I'll rest when Hiccup is back on his feet."

"Honey, he doesn't expect you to do everything for him."

"No, but I do." She waved a hand and settled at the table. "I'm fine Mom, really. I am Hiccup's wife, but I am also his right hand. He made me that because he trusted me to take care of things when he couldn't, and..." Picking up her tea, she sipped. "I need to keep my mind occupied or..."

Valka reached across the table and squeezed Astrid's in understanding. "I know."

"What are you reading?"

Valka lowered her eyes ashamed and closed the book to show Astrid.

Astrid's eyes widened for a moment. "That's Hiccup's journal."

Valka sighed and nodded. "One of them. I found it in the very last drawer of his desk when I was looking for the drawings for his leg. I didn't mean to pry but..." She held it to her chest. "I needed to know him, Astrid. I need to know what I've missed."

"He wouldn't want you reading it, Mom. He wouldn't want anyone to, it's private." And yet, Astrid herself was curious about what might be in the journal. Valka's earlier questions about Hiccup had made her realize that she didn't know him as well as she should.

"I know." Valka looked down at the book and caressed it tenderly. "I've only gotten a few pages in, it seems to be mostly about working with Gobber in the forge." She smiled at the sleeping blacksmith. "Hiccup is very fond of him."

"Is it a recent journal?"

Valka shook her head. "I don't think so, there is no mention of Toothless so far." She smirked. "I think he must be just entering puberty. He's complaining about how everyone else is filling out and he's just a chicken bone with a squeaky voice."

Astrid grinned, then forced it away. They shouldn't be reading the journal. "I'm sorry, Mom."

Sighing, Valka handed the book over.

"Listen, I'll talk to Hiccup when he...when he's recovered and tell him it's important that you two talk, okay?"

"Thank you, Astrid." Valka nodded and rose. "Well, I think I'll try and get some sleep." She walked over, kissed Astrid's cheek. "You should try to get some more too." She put her hand to Astrid's forehead. "You're flushed. I hope you're not overdoing things."

Astrid didn't know how to express what the simple gesture of a goodnight kiss meant to her, after not having a mother or father for so long. Fin was a good man, but not overly affectionate. "I'm fine, Mom."

"You should have Gothi check you out when she comes to check on Hiccup in the morning."

"I feel fine..."

"Please, Astrid? You can't do Hiccup any good if you fall sick."

Astrid rolled her eyes, but had to admit it was nice being cared about. "Okay

"Good night then."

"Night."

Astrid finished off her tea then got a glass of milk; she couldn't understand why her stomach wouldn't settle. Maybe Valka was right. She had to stay strong and fit for Hiccup; she'd talk to Gothi.

She glanced at the journal on the table beside her, and gave in to her curiosity. Glancing towards the master bedroom, she confirmed that Valka would not be coming back out, then randomly opened the book to a page in the middle. One look, she told herself, she'd read one page and that was all. She smiled at Hiccup's familiar script.

_**Dad is away again and I am staying with Gobber. He was trying to convince me to go play outside with the other kids, but every time I get near them they just walk away from me, so it would be a waste of time. I don't know, maybe I smell? Who am I kidding, everyone on Berk smells. I take a weekly bath, unlike Gobber, and sometimes I even take it twice, but they still always just walk away.**_

_**There was another dragon attack tonight and Gobber made me promise to stay at the forge. I understand I'm too young to help, and too small, too skinny, to clumsy, just too everything I guess. Joke's on Dad, he asked for a strapping, brave boy to be his heir and Odin gave him me. I don't think he'll ever get over the disappointment. I see Dad looking at Snotlout, talking to Snotlout a lot, my cousin idolizes my Dad and I know he would make a better Chief. Snotlout certainly thinks he would. I didn't want to be born the Chief's son, it isn't my fault. You hear that, Dad? I'm sorry I'm not Snotlout! No, of course you don't hear me, you never hear me.**_

_**Dad is always trying to protect me, but that just makes it worse. I'm already different than everyone else, pointing it out by trying to keep me contained all the time only makes it **__**worse**__**. I know he has no faith in me to do anything but mess up. Sometimes I wish a dragon would carry me off, like it did my mother. I miss her. I don't remember her, but I miss her. How messed up is that?**_

_**Well, Gobber wants me to help with the broken weapons from tonight's attack, so I guess I'd better get to it. At least he lets me help with something. **_

Astrid slowly shook her head and turned the page, without realizing she was doing so. She was appalled and slightly cursed the fates that the next passage was a page dealing with the death of her folks.

_**Astrid lost her parents last night in the dragon attack, they were killed. I feel so bad for her. My mom was carried off by a dragon, but I barely remember her and I still have Dad; even if he barely acknowledges me. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose both. I tried to talk to her after the funeral, she looked so incredibly sad my heart ached for her, but her uncle Fin ushered her away; back to their house. **_

_**I had to do something, I can't stand to see her looking so sad. If it were anyone else in the village it wouldn't bother me, but not Astrid. Not my brave, beautiful Astrid. I can't bring her parents back, and she doesn't actually speak to me, not that I blame her- I wouldn't speak to me either. But since I can't tell her how sorry I am for her, I climbed in her bedroom window tonight and left the secret carving of her I had made. I hope it makes her smile, even for a little while.**_

Astrid read over the passage again and felt tears fill her eyes. She quickly blinked them back, knowing if she started crying now she might never be able to stop. It wasn't possible. How was it possible?

She slapped the book shut and quietly hurried upstairs. Sliding the book back into Hiccup's desk drawer, she moved into their bedroom and knelt at the foot of their bed where her dowry trunk sat. Carefully lifting the top, she shifted through bits and pieces of her life, along with the furs that had been part of her dowry and the beautiful necklace Hiccup had given her for a wedding gift, made of shells and stones.

She found the small box she was looking for and lifted it out. Opening it, she stared at the collection of wooden carvings, all with her face as she slowly changed over the years and had matured from the young grieving girl who had lost her parents, to the woman she was now. Each one represented another year she had survived, another year she had stayed strong, and each one had a label written in the base.

She pulled out the very first one, the one labeled _'courage'_ and caressed it, then glanced at her sleeping husband. She had always thought Fin had been leaving these for her, but never had the guts to actually ask him outright. She had still been trying to adjust living with him in the beginning, and then, as the years passed, she just accepted it as something he did for her. She'd had no idea that they had all been from Hiccup. And he had never said anything to her; not even after they were married. He had never revealed his secret, and she continued to get the tokens.

Rising, she moved to the small shelf that held the medals from all the games she had one, medals she always been incredibly proud of, yet she grabbed them and dropped them on the floor. Slowly, she began setting up the carvings on the shelf, amazed at how they seemed to transform before her eyes as different versions of herself grew and matured among the wood.

She whispered the inscriptions as she set them on the shelf from first to last, reminding herself of how they had kept her sane through her childhood grief and how they had helped shape the person she had become.

"Courage. Strength. Fortitude. Might. Beauty. Will. Wisdom. Stealth. Grace. Leadership."

Tracing the final one with her fingers, the one she had received last year on the anniversary of her parent's death, she sighed. Hiccup made her his right hand, so she knew he had faith in her, but knowing that he had made this for her with such a title, it was almost overwhelming. He considered her a leader, a true leader, and it meant more to her than wining any games or fighting any battles.

She stepped back, looked at the figures and nodded, satisfied. Then she closed her trunk and crawled in next to her husband. "I love you, Hiccup Haddock," she murmured.

She was startled by a knock at the door downstairs.

She hurried down and flung the door open. "Snotlout? Is something wrong?" It was far too late for a social call.

He nodded, grimly. "Astrid, we...we caught two people coming ashore by the caves. We're holding them at the Great Hall."

Astrid grabbed her cloak and battle axe off the wall. "Show me."

Snotlout led her up the steps to the great hall, as the Chief's house was very close to it and not worth taking their dragons. Inside were Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff and Eret, along with two other of her Vikings and two prisoners tied to chairs.

"This is your interrogation technique?" The first prisoner sneered. "To bring us a woman? Will she bed us to learn our secrets?"

From the doorway, Astrid threw her axe, a good ten to twelve feet, and the blade landed between the prisoner's legs, piercing the wood of the seat and slicing a tell-tale slit through the man's trousers, enough to expose the sensitive skin beneath.

The Viking paled, swallowed, then whimpered.

"Any other questions?' Astrid asked, striding over, placing her foot against the man's groin to pull her axe from his chair. She watched his face go from white, to red, to purple. "No, good. I have some." She slid her axe underneath his throat. "Who are you?"

"B...Badorn and Guthor."

"From what tribe?"

They man hesitated.

"From what tribe?" she screamed at him, yanking her axe away and imbedding it a centimetre away from the fingers he had tied to the chair.

"N...Noman."

"Yakun," she muttered. "What are you doing on Berk?"

"Our...our ship was damaged. We...we wanted to come in for repairs and..."

Astrid grabbed the man's long, blond beard and tugged hard, making him cry out. "I have had a very bad couple of days, fellas, and I'm real close to losing my temper here."

"Dude, you totally don't want her to lose her temper," Tuffnut warned.

"She's crazy," Ruffnut agreed. "She took on a full-fledged Flightmare on her own!"

Snotlout examined his fingernails. "And she can carve up a yak in under five minutes."

"Chief Yakun sent us here!" the smaller Viking blurted.

Astrid smacked the handle of her axe off her hand as she moved around him. "Why?"

"I...uh..."

Astrid shrugged. "Fine. I'm done talking." She turned to Snotlout and nodded.

"Yo, Hookfang!" Snotlout went to the door, whistled. "Dinner!"

The two Noman Vikings lost whatever color they had left and their eyes bulged in horror as a Monstrous Nightmare levered itself through the door and started towards them; and it looked hungry.

"The Chief!" Guthor screamed in terror. "We were sent to check on your Chief!"

Astrid lifted her hand up to stop Hookfang as she glowered at the men. "Why? What does he know about Hiccup?" She glanced back as Hookfang touched his nose to her palm and smirked, but when she turned back to their prisoners, her face was stone.

"He...He heard there was...um...a...an...uh...accident and he...he uh wanted to...k...know if the C...Chief was okay."

"And how did he hear about that?" Ruffnut asked, coming up behind Guthor and dropping surprisingly strong hands on the Viking's shoulders.

"We don't know!" Badorn insisted. "He j...just told us to stay behind and send word if we saw anything strange. We...when we saw her," he pointed to Astrid. "Flying back on the Chief's dragon we figured that was strange so we...we came to see."

Ruff pressed down on his shoulders, finding a sensitive pressure point and causing Badorn to cry out in pain. "Oh, sorry, don't know my own strength." She pressed again and got the same result. "Hey, that's pretty handy, I could do this all day."

"No!" Guthor pleaded. "We've told you everything we know! Please! We were just following orders."

Astrid stared at them a moment longer. "Get them out of my sight," she ordered.

Ruff and Fishleggs untied the men and escorted them out.

"And you call yourselves Vikings!" Tuff declared waving a fist at them then turning to the others."Well, that was rather anti-climatic," he sighed. "No one even lost a limb."

"Eh, they were a couple of wimps," Snotlout dismissed. "I think one of 'em actually pissed himself when Hookfang came in."

"Yeah, that was pretty cool."

"Do you think Yakun is responsible for what happened on Outcast Island, Astrid?" Snotlout asked.

"I don't know." She started to pace, needing to wear down some of the fury and adrenalin that was pumping through her. She wanted to jump on Stormfly and he'd straight for the Nomans' island and rip their Chief to shreds until she had answers, but she had to be reasonable. Her hand tightened on her axe. She thought of her husband possibly dying in his bed and didn't know how she could possibly be expected to think reasonably.

Yakun was a small time tribal leader, and while smarter than most of his men; and that wasn't to say he was still dumb as a post, she couldn't see him engineering something like what they had seen on Outcast Island. It was too messy, to well planned for Yakun. She had to wonder now if their alleged attack hadn't been more than a diversion, a way to get Hiccup to Outcast Island

It was normal for tribes to sometimes challenge a new Chief, and she found it odd that Yakun suddenly massed a small fleet of ships to take on Hiccup and the dragons, when he'd barely said a word about them while Stoick was alive. Of course, Stoick was cunning, and he always went to see the Nomans, rather than they come here, and he went by boat instead of dragon. Perhaps they really hadn't known of the dragons until Hiccup took over as Chief?

The Nomans had always rumbled about this and that, petty grievances, but they had never had the guts to challenge Stoick outright when he was Chief. Stoick made concessions for them to keep the peace, but they were a greedy lot and always craved more. Perhaps his death and the idea that Hiccup was weaker than his father had spurred them into taking such foolish actions.

She could send a rider to check out what Yakun might be doing, or she could try questioning their other prisoner, but he wasn't saying much and in the shape he had been in when Hiccup rescued him, she didn't have the heart to interrogate him to hard.

"Fishlegs and I can be there and back within a day," Snotlout told her, guessing her predicament. "It doesn't hurt to know what is going on."

She dropped down on a chair, chewed her nail. "If they see your dragons they'll think we've declared war."

"If we don't do something they could show up tomorrow with more ships and attack us."

"I know!" She continued to chew her thumb nail. "Extend the patrol areas, have them go beyond the Towers of Durin to Odin's Gate. At least that will give us a couple of days warning."

"What if they're already past the Towers?" Tuffnut asked. "That would only give us a few hours."

Oh Gods! She didn't know what to do! They needed Hiccup! "We'll deal with it then." Focus on the now, she told herself as Hiccup had often said. Deal with one issue at a time. "I'll have Gobber make sure we're well stocked on weapons. Prepare the caves with supplies for several days and have the children and mothers start sleeping in there as of this morning. Tell everyone to be on high alert." She ran a hand across her tired face. "That...that's all we can do right now." All they could do until their Chief woke up.

She rose, swayed and Tuffnut caught her.

"Hey there, Mrs. Hiccup, you okay?"

Astrid smirked at his teasing, then closed her eyes as her vision blurred, then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Okay, well, go get some rest, we've got this."

She nodded and headed out.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hmmm...I've rewritten this chapter twice and it's still not exactly as I want it, but if I try to rewrite any more I'll end up having a completely different chapter that will not go with the story. So, here it is, read as you will and hopefully you will enjoy. Thanks to all those that reviewed!_

* * *

Hiccup woke to the sound of snoring. He opened one eye, then the other. What? Where? He realized he couldn't move, and the reason was because he had a Night Fury coiled tightly around him.

"T...Toothless?" he croaked. His throat was so dry!

The dragon lifted his head and whimpered as he adjusted his position so that he could nudge his head under Hiccup's hand. He started to lift his right hand, winced. "What the..." He managed to focus on the splint covering his right hand and wrist. "Wonderful." He used his left hand to pet Toothless.

"Not...not supposed to be on the bed, Bud," he murmured as his eyes tried to focus on the surroundings of their bedroom. "Astrid will be...mad."

"It's okay, just this once."

Man and dragon turned towards the archway that separated the bedroom from the office area to see Astrid standing there.

"Hey."

She smiled at his soft greeting, and had to control the urge not to run across the room and throw herself into his arms. "Hey." She walked over, nudged Toothless so he reluctantly slid off the bed, and sat next to her husband. "Have a nice rest?"

"Depends." He tried to sit up, winced. What the hell? His ribs too? "Were you using me as the black sheep for dragon racing?"

She smirked and offered him a cup of water. "We thought about it," she admitted as he drank thirstily and she pulled her pillow behind him so he could sit up a little more comfortably. "But you weren't as much of a challenge as the sheep."

"Nice." He lay back against the pillows and sighed. "I feel awful."

"You'll feel worse, soon enough."

"Oh?" He stared at her. "That doesn't sound encouraging."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I think so, some of it anyway." He closed his eyes and released a deep breath. "Alvin's dead. Someone was waiting for me." He sighed, squeezed his eyes against the horror of all he had seen. "It was a trap. Gods, Astrid, what they did...They killed everybody. They...they tortured dragons."

Astrid nodded slowly, she had heard about it. "I sent a party back to investigate after you..." She lowered her eyes for a moment as she relived the vision of her husband being blown into the air. Biting hard on her lower lip, her hands curled into fists as she tried to regain control.

He was awake, Astrid! Get a grip. He was finally awake and he'll be fine!

Hiccup opened his eyes when she didn't finish and saw the agony on her face, the tell-tale shimmer in her eyes. "Aww, Astrid."

And she was in his arms. The tears she couldn't shed, refused to shed days before finally fell as she felt the strength of her husband's arms around her. "Oh Gods! Oh, Gods, Hiccup! I thought you were dead! There...there was an...an explosion and..you...you flew and...and you wouldn't wake up and...Oh Gods!"

He winced as the embrace pulled at whatever injuries he couldn't see, but he didn't pull away. "It's okay, baby. I'm right here, right here." It killed him to see her cry, it always had. He couldn't stand for her to be sad or upset. "Sssshhhh. It's all okay now."

"I just...I...I can...couldn't..." She shook her head and continued to cling to him.

There was no way to express what she went through when she thought she might lose him. She knew he hated to see her cry, but she couldn't possibly have held back any longer seeing those lovely green eyes looking back at her, seeing color back in his handsome cheeks.

He pulled back, cupped her chin with his good hand and touched his lips to hers, intending it to be a quick, gentle kiss of comfort, but Astrid shoved her hands into his hair and near consumed him orally.

She needed to slake the grief and fear that had been wallowing inside of her for the past few days. She needed to confirm Hiccup was safe and alive and back with her again, the way he should be. When she finally pulled back, they were both panting.

"Well, I...I'm awake now," he managed.

Astrid blushed. "S...sorry."

"Don't be." He removed the remaining trace of her tears with the edge of his knuckles. "That was amazing! I think I need to go back to Outcast Island and..."

"Don't!" she warned and put a hand to his mouth, as her lower lip quivered. "Don't joke about it, Hiccup." She couldn't handle him making light of what happened. She knew it was his way, but she would never be able to look at it that way.

He nodded, caught the hand at his mouth and kissed her fingers. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Astrid wiped at her face with her free hand, suddenly embarrassed to have broken down in front of him.

"So...what else?"

"What?"

"You said I'd feel worse."

"Oh, right. Well...do you remember finding a survivor?"

He thought for a moment, then remembered seeing the bearded, starving prisoner. "Mildew..." His eyes widened as the prisoner's face came into view. "No. Not Mildew."

She nodded, grimly. "We have him a cage down at the academy. He's been washed and fed, he was severely malnourished and dehydrated." She shook her head. "He seems barely coherent most of the time, but keeps asking for you. He wouldn't let us put him in a cell. He was terrified of going underground again or into one of the dragon pens. So we put him in a cage in the arena outside.

"He must have been in those caves for years, Astrid."

"Why, Hiccup? Why did you save him?"

"I couldn't leave him there."

"But he probably caused all of that! He tried to kill you multiple times! He's probably to blame for this last time too!"

"No. I don't think he was behind any of this, I think he was a pawn."

"How can he still be alive? Alvin said..."

Hiccup shrugged. "Alvin was Treacherous, even if he did make up with my father, he's not exactly the most reliable or trustworthy of sources." He thought about what he found in the house on the peak. "He finally paid the ultimate price for his treachery." He started to push at the covers. "I need to speak with him..."

"No." Astrid carefully shoved Hiccup back and adjusted the blankets. "You're too weak, babe."

"Hey! Kick a guy when he's down..."

She smiled, so relieved to hear his sarcasm and wit that she almost started crying again. "It can wait, Hiccup."

"It can't, Astrid. I need to talk to him. I need to find out..."

"We've already questioned him, and he won't say anything to us. He just keeps asking for you."

"All the more reason..."

"For the love of Odin, Hiccup!" Astrid snapped and rose. "You nearly died! You've been unconscious for three days! You can wait one more day!"

He gaped at her, astounded. "T...three days?"

"Yes, and it was the most hellish three days of my life, so please don't make it worse by making me hurt you to keep you in that bed!"

Hiccup could see she was on the edge, very close to falling over it, and possibly taking him with her. "Okay." He lay back against the pillows. "Okay. I'll wait."

Her whole body just deflated and she sat beside him again, put her head to his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just...I just need you to get better first, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded and playfully tugged her braid. "You're really sexy when you're violent."

She barely resisted punching him, and instead folded her arms gently around him, careful of his injuries. "Ass."

"You know, since I have to be in bed anyway..." He tried patted her side of the bed and wiggled his eyebrows.

She smiled and sighed. "You're in no shape, Hiccup."

"First she attacks my strength, now my virility. I'm getting a complex here, Astrid."

She snuggled against him. "I love you, Hiccup. I love you so, so much."

"I love you." He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"Don't _ever_ do it again."

"I'll try not to."

She lifted her head, pressed her lips to his again, smiled as his hand slipped up to cup her neck and immediately deepened the kiss; and while it was not as frantic and explosive as hers had been, he still managed to pour all of his love for her into that one kiss so that she was dizzy by the end of it.

"Hiccup!"

They parted and turned to see Valka rushing towards them.

"Oh thank Thor!" Astrid moved aside so that Valka could hug her son. "You took twenty years off my life!"

He hugged her with his good arm. "Sorry, Mom." He pulled back and noticed a bruise on her forehead. He touched it, gently. "What happened?"

She pulled his hand away. "Oh, nothing." She wasn't about to tell him he had struck her in his delirium. "Just me being clumsy." She cupped her hand to his cheek. "How do you feel? Are you hungry, can I get you anything?"

"No, I...I'm okay. Just sore..." He glanced at Astrid, mischievously. "From being bedridden." He grinned when she stuck her tongue out at him behind his mother's back.

"Well, you'll have to put up with it a bit longer," She stated rising and tucking the covers around him. "You'll need time to regain your strength." She plumped his pillows. "I'll get you some broth. You'll need something in your stomach."

"Mom, I'm really not..."

"Astrid," Valka pulled a chair over to the bed. "Sit. We can't have you fainting again."

Hiccup frowned as his mother left the bedroom area and looked at Astrid. "Faint? Why...when did you faint? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she assured, but sat down in the chair because she was beginning to feel woozy again. "I just had a spell yesterday, but I'm fine."

"Well, are you doing too much? Are you sleeping? What..." He watched her flush bright red and dip her head. "Astrid! Tell me what is going on?"

"Now isn't the time..."

"Now is the perfect time! I can't go anywhere..." He realized suddenly that his foot was catching only air. He glanced in the corner where is prosthetic usually stood. "Where's my leg?"

"It... you lost it."

"I lost it? How in Thor did I lose it? It was attached to me!"

Astrid shifted uncomfortably, because discussing it brought back the memory of what happened again. "We think it was...um...blown off in the...um, explosion. Tuff and Fish went back to Outcast Island to see if they could find it but..." She shrugged, helplessly.

Hiccup moaned and dropped back against the pillows, then winced as the action caused him pain across his torso. He'd put so much work into his leg, now he would have to start all over again.

"Don't worry though, we found your old plans and Gobber is working on a new one for you."

"Great," he muttered. He supposed he should be grateful he hadn't lost his good leg in the explosion. "When will that be ready?"

"Probably later today." She reached for his hand. "Don't be upset, it'll be as good as the last one. Promise, and besides, you can always change whatever you don't like."

"Yeah, I guess." He paused for a moment and then reached up and pulled the band from her braid, threading his fingers through it to loosen her hair. "What else?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell there's more, now what else has happened?"

"It can wait."

His fingers tightened in her hair, tugged just hard enough that she understood he wasn't in the mood to be placated. "What else, Astrid?"

Sighing she filled him in on Yakun's men.

Hiccup listened to her silently, resisted the anger that rose inside of him and instead concentrated on forming a strategy, along with calculating the individual and mass consequences of said scenarios to deal with everything. He had been unconscious for three days...Three days! His wife had been left to deal with all of this on her own? Gods, he was an idiot.

When Astrid finished and Hiccup still had not spoken she was concerned that it was too much too soon. He was still weak, possibly emotionally as well as physically, and this was probably all too much for him to deal with all of a sudden. Or worse, that he was once again blaming himself for everything.

When he leaned his head back against the pillows and closed his eyes she grew more concerned. Had she worn him out? Should she ask what they should do or should she let him sleep and hope he was in a better state the next time he woke? They couldn't really afford to delay, but nor would she push him before he was ready.

Finally, he spoke. "Have Fishlegs and Snotlout take a ship to Weasel Island with about a half dozen men and return Yakun's men to him."

Astrid's eyes widened. "What? Hiccup! They could be here to kill you!"

"We don't know that, Astrid. It's actually a reasonable reaction for Yakun to leave some men behind after we chased them off with the dragons. He doesn't trust us, and is feeling threatened, so he wants to keep an eye on us."

"But what if he's behind what happened on Outcast Island? He had to have deliberately made that comment about Dagur to lure you there."

Hiccup nodded, solemnly. "It is possible, yes, but we have no proof."

"They tried to kill you!"

"And a war could kill all of you!" Hiccup snapped then quickly reigned in his temper. He felt weak and useless in this damn bed, but Astrid was right, he was in no shape. His wrist and ribs ached and his entire body felt like it had been used as target practice for Stormfly's tail spikes.

"I can't risk...everyone just...just from one incident." He winced again, took another deep breath. "A Chief protects his own. I can't think about revenge or honor or any of that. I have to do what is best for everyone, Astrid. If we abandon all reason and wage war on Yakun, without just cause, every tribe for a thousand miles will be lining up to replace him. I can't...I won't have that much death on my hands."

She regarded him intently, then realized he was right and slowly nodded. "I'll let Snotlout and Fishlegs know. They won't be happy about leaving their dragons behind."

"They won't be. Tell them to have Meatlug and Hookfang fly above them, in the clouds and settle close by while they drop the men off, maybe on Thistle Rock. Then Snotlout and Fish can call them once they're well away from Weasel Island."

"But...if they're already sailing back on the boat, why?"

"So they can double back on their dragons to see what Yakun is up to and report back here."

She stared at him confused. "But...you just said..."

"I'm cautious, Astrid, but I'm not naive." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I need to see Gobber, and Eret. We should have the supplies stocked in the hall..."

"I already did that, and I've asked that the children and young mothers start sleeping there."

"No, not yet anyway. If Yakun, or whoever is behind all this, has more spies around we need to make it appear that everything is normal. If we start segregating the kids they'll know we suspect something." She reached for her hand, squeezed. "But it's a really good idea, so make sure everyone is aware to be on standby for if we have to do that quickly."

"I've told Gobber to make sure our weapons are fully stocked, he's been working on it since last night, and I've extended the patrols five miles out."

"Fantastic!" He smiled at her, pleased. "See, you didn't need me at all."

She felt a flush of pleasure at making him proud. "I absolutely do need you, Hiccup." She leaned in and kissed him again. "Never think otherwise."

He blushed and suddenly yawned. What? He couldn't be tired! He'd been asleep for three days!

"You need to rest."

"I'm fine. I still need to talk to Gobber and..." Another yawn. He suddenly felt so drowsy. "We should...um..." He was losing focus, damn it! "Why...why were you fainting?"

She smiled, helped him slide down in the bed and tucked the covers around him. "I'll tell you later."

"No, Astrid...there's so much...to do...plan...and...stuff."

"I know, babe. We'll take care of it." She kissed his forehead as his eyes fluttered closed. "You need to sleep."

"Just...just for a min..." he began and was out a moment later.

Astrid turned and saw Valka standing in the entrance way with a bowl of broth.

"It took awhile to heat," she explained relieved at the sight of her son's peaceful expression. "Did you tell him?"

"No."

"Astrid..."

"He has enough on his mind, Mom." She looked once more upon her husband, then moved across the room. "Come on, we have orders from our Chief to relay."


	11. Chapter 11

_So glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter! Here is another one and thanks for all the reviews!_

* * *

When Astrid returned she found Hiccup up, dressed in a new green tunic and regular trousers. He was seated at his desk, scribbling away. Toothless was curled on his pad watching his rider closely.

"You promised you'd stay in bed!" she moaned, even though she hadn't really expected him to.

"I will," he promised but didn't look up from what he was doing. "I just needed to write down some things while I was thinking about them."

She stopped behind his chair, put her hands on his shoulders. "Then why did you get dressed?"

"I didn't want my mother coming in and seeing me sitting here naked."

"She's already seen you naked."

"What?" he demanded, spinning around and then gasping in pain because the action aggravated his injuries. He gritted his teeth. "What do you mean she's seen me naked?"

Astrid decided not to tell him about her and Valka bathing him. "She changed your nappies, idiot." She flicked his ear. "She is your mother, Hiccup."

He sighed in relief. "Don't say things like that!" He turned back to his writing only to have her pull the pencil out of his hand. "Astrid!"

She pointed to the adjoining room. "Bed. Now."

"Come on! I feel fine."

"Yeah?" She grabbed his arm, hauled him out of the chair, watched him pale and stagger on his one leg good leg. "How about now?"

The room swam before his eyes and Hiccup found the ability of speech had completely deserted him. "I..."

"That's what I thought." Her hold gentled. "Come on, please come back to bed?"

He nodded, because he was afraid if he opened his mouth he might vomit. Toothless moved to his other side and they helped him back to bed. He sat down, rubbed at his side and waited for her to come back into focus.

She helped him back into bed, but he waved away the blankets away. "That was...really not fair, Astrid."

"I know." She leaned in, kissed him. "But you're hurt, Hiccup."

"I...I was just writing some things down..."

"I'll bring you your notebook and your pencil and whatever else you need, but I want you to stay in bed."

"You're killing me, here."

She smiled, climbed onto the bed and carefully straddled his lap. "Poor baby." She kissed his forehead, his eyelids, his cheeks and his nose. "Doesn't it suck to have someone love you so much?"

"Sometimes," he muttered as his hand settled at her hip, his long talented fingers finding their way inside the edge of her tunic as he tried to pull her closer. When he attempted to capture her mouth, she repeated her kisses again, carefully avoiding his mouth and causing him to moan in frustration. "Come on!"

She grinned. "Come on what?"

"Kiss me!"

Once again, she kissed his forehead, nose, eyes and cheeks. "I am kissing you."

"Astrid!"

"Will you stay in bed?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"Promise."

He winced, but not from pain. "What, like forever?"

She smiled. "No, just until tomorrow morning."

"Astrid," he moaned and released a frustrated laugh. "I have a village to protect, prisoners to question, lots of things to do here!"

"Promise me, Hiccup. If you need to talk to someone we'll bring them here. If you need something done, I'll see that it's done, but you have to stay in bed." She gave him a very quick peck on the lips, a taste of his reward should he comply.

He didn't dare try telling her he was fine again, she'd already proved him wrong once and he couldn't last through another lesson. "I want more than a kiss then," he countered, unwilling to give up altogether.

"You're in no shape for..."

"Not that, just..." He could admit he really wasn't in any shape for that. "A free round of heavy groping."

She threw her head back and laughed. "Okay."

"Lose the skirt," he requested, not particularly fond of the spikes upon it.

Astrid complied, leaving her in her thin tights, boots, tunic and her upper body armor. "Now, do you promise?"

"I promise."

She kissed him, long and slow, deep and passionately and let his hand travel over her wherever he desired it to go. She was only mildly surprised when, even with his injuries and a broken wrist, he managed to flip her onto her back. Wrapping her arms around his neck she let him touch her, let herself be lost in the feel of him pressed against her, his gentle caresses and the wonderful taste of his lips.

When he tried to pull off her tights with his good hand, she giggled and slapped his hand away.

"Hey!"

"That's moving past groping, Hiccup."

"Come on! As your badly injured Chief I am ordering you to take your pants off."

"Sorry," She laughed again. "As my Chief's Right Hand it is my sworn duty to keep him from doing things that are bad for him."

He sighed, carefully settled himself just to the side of her, keeping his arm around her waist and his good leg across both of hers. "You're such a tease."

"Mmmm." She snuggled into him and silently thanked Odin for not taking him away to Valhalla, for letting him stay with her. "Gobber and Eret will be here soon."

He moaned, and flopped over onto his back, then gasped again. "Crap!" He had to limit his movements.

"Idiot," she said adoringly as she lifted up on her elbow and caressed pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Hurts, doesn't it?"

"Oh shut up."

She helped him sit up, then grabbed the blanket again and tossed it over his legs, knowing he didn't like anyone to see him without his prosthetic attached. She climbed off the bed and picked up her skirt.

"Woah, woah! Get back here you." He caught her hand as she started to move away. "We have unfinished business, Milady."

She lifted her eyebrow. "What unfinished business?"

"Why were you fainting?"

Damn it! She hoped he'd forgotten about that. "It's nothing..."

"Astrid..."

"Hiccup, we really need to discuss more important things and..."

"There is nothing more important than your health. Now tell me."

"The others will be here soon and you have enough on your plate to deal with."

"Oh ho, my cup runnth over, so what's a little more?"

"It can wait until later, when you aren't as preoccupied..."

"I take that to mean that this is something you don't want me to get upset or stressed over, which means now you have to tell me, or I will get even more upset and stressed."

"Hiccup, it's nothing. Can we just forget it?"

"No. Now come on, you're harassing me about staying in bed for my physical health, and ignoring your own. Now what is going on?"

She was silent.

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"Is it, stress, exhaustion?"

She shook her head.

"Are you infected with a man eating parasite that prevents you from telling me of it's identity?"

She smirked. "No, Hiccup."

"Okay, I've got nothing else. Tell me."

"I'm with child," she murmured quietly.

He stared at her for several long moments, blinked. "W...what?"

She pulled away from him, wrapped her arms around herself, self-consciously. "I'm...we're going to have a...a baby."

When he still didn't respond she continued. "Gothi thinks...um...two, maybe three months. I've been...I just haven't...ah...been feeling any...symptoms." She had been late for her cycle, but had thought nothing of it because she so often was. Gothi told her sometimes women that were very physically active did not have a regular cycle. "Until...now."

Still he continued to stare at her in silence, trying to process what she was telling him.

Gods! Why wouldn't he say something? She rose, agitated and stalked to the other side of the room. "For the love of Odin, Hiccup! Say something!"

"A...baby."

"Yes a baby." She groaned, in distress. "Look, I know you aren't ready..."

"Astrid..."

"I know you wanted to wait and you said there was not need to be in any rush..."

"Astrid..."

"And now with this thing with Yakun and Outcast Island hanging over us, a possibility of war and someone attempting to kill you, it may not be the best time to...

"Astrid!"

She turned at his firm command. "What?"

He patted the bed. "Come here, please?"

"Why?"

He sighed. "Because I can't easily get to you without my leg, and because you made me promise not to move from the bed."

She flushed, moved and sat beside him. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

She shrugged and bit her lip.

Hiccup caught her chin, lifted it and pressed his lips to hers in a sweet, lingering kiss. "How long have you known?"

"Just...just since this morning."

"And that was...why you fainted?"

She nodded. "Gothi said that can happen sometimes, she said sometimes young...um...mothers get tired really easily and I guess I wasn't getting the proper sleep."

"Because of me."

She shrugged. "I was worried, Hiccup."

"I know." He pulled her forward, kissed her forehead and gazed into her eyes with a sense of wonder. "A baby." He placed his hand at her stomach, caressed her and released a slow breath. "You're going to have our baby."

He tried to quell the sudden rise of panic that surged inside of him. What if she died in childbirth? What if it was premature as he was? What if the child died? What if they both died?

"Are...are you...do you w...want the baby?" she whispered.

"Do I..."

How could she think otherwise? Yes he was afraid for her, afraid for them, he couldn't deny that. Was he ready? Was any man really ready to be a father? Probably not, but...How could she still believe he didn't want a child with her? Hadn't they already discussed this? Hadn't they fought and cried over this not a day ago? He paused, considered how long she had told him he had been unconscious. Okay, maybe several days, but surely she hadn't forgotten what they had said to each other.

"Of course, I do!" He wrapped his arms around Astrid and ignored the pain it cause when he crushed her too him. "Oh Astrid. Gods! I...I couldn't...I mean..."

He hadn't let himself think about it, hadn't let himself dream. He already had more than he ever thought possible; real friends, a wife, his mother, a respectable position on Berk and of course, the wonder of living with dragons. How could he possibly ask for more?

He told himself he might never be a father, told himself there was plenty of time and he wasn't ready anyway, but now, now that it was happening- How could he express what this meant to him, for them?

He pulled back enough to crush his lips to hers, trying to show her how very happy he was. "A baby," he whispered again as he felt the surge of panic turn to one of excitement and jubilation. "Oh, my love, we're going to have a baby!"

She lifted tear-filled eyes to his, cupped his cheek as she basked in the joy she found in his gaze. "Oh Hiccup, I love you so much!"

"Are...I mean are you...h...happy about the...the baby?" he asked knowing that Astrid was used to a very active life now, and a baby would hamper some of her usual activities. "I know you said you wanted to have our child, but...You'll have to slow down, Astrid. You can't do everything like before, at least not until the baby is born. It isn't safe."

"I know." She nodded emphatically. "I am happy. I...I mean, I'm a little scared, it's a big change, but I...I do want the baby. Oh, Hiccup, I want to be a mother so much, and I...I promise to do everything exactly right so our baby is safe and is born healthy."

She knew what he was afraid of, they had seen many miscarriages in their village, or a young mother dying in childbirth. Having a baby in their culture was a blessing, but it was also a huge risk. She loved him for allowing her to take that risk, for wanting to take it with her.

"Thank you, Astrid." He knew it would be hard for her to give up so much of who she was for their child. "And you'll be an amazing mother," he assured and cradled her to him. "The very best."

She dipped her head into his neck. "Are you sure? Are you really happy?"

"Yes, Astrid. I...I'm thrilled." He pulled back and again placed his hand delicately on her stomach. "Do you hear that, sweetheart? I am thrilled about you." He lifted his eyes to Astrid's. "I hope it's a girl. Do you think it will be a girl?"

She blinked. Why would he want a girl? He needed a son, an heir. "I...don't you want a...a boy?"

"A boy would be nice, but so would a girl. With your hair and my Mom or Dad's eyes. Wow, she'd be beautiful."

"Hiccup, you know if the baby's female she can't be Chief."

"Of course she can!" He pulled her to him again, hugged her hard. "Her mother's the Chief's Right Hand, Chief is just one step up!"

She pulled back, stared at him and realized he was serious. Her eyes misted at the wonderful man she had married.

Valka entered their room. "Gobber and Eret are here," she said, then raised her eyebrow at their glowing faces. She smiled. "You told him?"

"You know?" Hiccup asked, surprised and Valka nodded.

"Only because I was there when Gothi examined her." She walked over, sat down on his other side and hugged him. "You'll be a wonderful father, son."

And he would, Hiccup promised himself. He would be grateful for his child, and love it and care for it and always, always listen to it.

"Thank you, Mom," he said and then realized his cheeks were wet. Had he been crying and not even aware of it? He quickly wiped away the evidence. "Send the guys up. We have a lot to do."

Valka nodded, reached over to kiss Astrid's cheek, then rose and went back downstairs.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Keeley**- Thank you so much I am glad you enjoyed it! I was laughing as I wrote it, glad it wasn't just me!_

_**Concrit** – Excellent point made, although I don't think it is fair to group feminism in with all female writers. ;-) Hiccup has a valid reason of why he would like a girl and it has nothing to do with feminism, which you will learn in later chapters. And thanks for the great review!_

_**Tasermon's Partne**r- Absolute fluff! Enjoy it while it lasts ;-) and Sssshhh! Don't remind Hiccup about the tackle, he'll have enough to fret over soon enough._

_**Nerdmom1701** – Thanks! Glad you like the story._

_**Incarnate Firefly**- Yes I am a stickler for details, all the little side notes and what if's in scenes that could have happened, which is probably why I write fanfiction! And your video was awesome, everyone should see it and for those who would like to, go to Youtube and search for hiccup/toothless walk on the moon_

_**PalominoGirl**- Yay! None can hold out against the force of the Hiccup!_

_Okay ladies and Gents, the fluff is officially over for the next few chapters...Welcome to the dark side_

* * *

Hiccup slid off Toothless with a contented sigh, he was still quite sore from his injuries, his ribs especially and his broken wrist made it a little harder to guide Toothless than usual, but he would tolerate it to be able to fly again and be out of bed.

The leg that Gobber had made him was almost identical to the one he'd lost, so while it was a little stiff around his stump, he knew he'd only have to break it in a bit and it would be fine.

He walked across the floor of the academy training arena, as Astrid and the twins landed behind him, and stopped just out of reach of the cage that held the man he had rescued from Outcast Island. Two larger Vikings guarded either side of it, and inside was a food bowl, a bowl for waste and a blanket.

A pathetically thin figure was huddled in the corner, and sharp green eyes had locked on and followed Hiccup the moment he had landed. The hair that had once covered the man's face had been shaved off and rest cut short, to hang limply just past his shoulders. It was lighter than Hiccup remembered in the cave, more red than brown, and it had long streaks of grey, making the man look far older than his years. In his simple jersey, boots and trousers, the prisoner looked very little like the man Hiccup remembered.

When Hiccup stopped a foot from the cage, the prisoner crawled over to that side and reached through the heavy bars, his hand not quite able to make contact.

"B...Brother."

"Dagur," Hiccup returned grimly. He had never understood why the Beserker Chief had called him that, but he didn't quibble about it now. There were more important matters to attend to. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"You...saved me?"

Hiccup nodded, curtly.

"W...why?"

Hiccup was surprised by the question and glanced at back at Astrid who could only shrug. It didn't matter; he wasn't here for a personal chat with the ex-Berserker Chief. "Who did this to you, Dagur?"

Dagur looked down at himself, as if confused. He wiped his hands on his tunic, touched the bars then focused on Astrid. "S...she did."

"No, I mean before, when I found you in the caves. Who was keeping you prisoner? Was it Alvin?"

Dagur folded his legs under him and slumped against the bars, reaching his hand forward again. "Brother."

Hiccup stepped closer, despite Astrid's warning, dropped to one knee and took Dagur's hand. The Viking he had known as Dagur the Deranged was dangerous, unstable and cunning, but this was not the man he had known. This was a pathetic, broken man.

Dagur's hand tightened around Hiccup and a tear slid down his cheek, as if grateful for such simple human contact. "Tha...ank you."

"Did Alvin put you in that dungeon, Dagur?"

Dagur nodded. "Long, so l...long. Al..vin." His eyes flew back up to Hiccup's. "The Master. The Master came."

"Who is the Master?"

Again Dagur seemed to struggle with focusing on the question. "So loud." He put his free hand to his ear, pressed as if trying to block out sounds from his past. "Crying. Scre...screeching..." Dagur's eyes looked towards Toothless who growled back at him, as if saying if he made one wrong move he would swallow Dagur whole. "Not you," he whispered to the Night Fury and seemed to sag in relief. "They...didn't get...you."

"Dagur." Hiccup tried to pull the Viking's focus back to him. "Dagur, who is the Master?"

"The Master!" Dagur cried and skittered back into the corner, pulling his knees up, covering his face and trying to curl into the smallest form possible. "Ple...please. No...no more. Can't...I didn't m...mean...please..."

Hiccup gapped at the sobbing, frightened man.

"Like I said," Astrid sighed. "He's a mess. He seems lucid for a few minutes, then goes off again. I don't think we're going to get much out of him, Hiccup, and anything we do get I doubt we could trust. It is Dagur, after all."

Watching their prisoner rock himself and sob like a child, Hiccup shook his head. No, this wasn't Dagur, not any more. "Open the cage."

"What?" Tuff demanded, surprised. "Are you crazy? Do you know how hard it was to even get him in there?"

Hiccup turned harsh, cold eyes on the dragon rider and the blond immediately shut up. He turned back to the Vikings guards. "Open it."

They slid the key into the small lock and pulled the metal door open.

"Hiccup," Astrid warned, a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be fine." He stepped inside, and when Dagur cried out and flinched he slowly moved to his knees. It hurt his ribs to do so, but he carefully, cautiously crawled to Dagur, approaching him as one would a wounded animal. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise no one here is going to hurt you, Dagur. You're safe."

Dagur's wild eyes struggled to comprehend Hiccup's words, struggled to make them out through the screams and other voices in his head that tormented him.

When Hiccup was almost beside him, Dagur's hand shot out and snatched Hiccup's splinted wrist, causing the young Chief to hiss in pain. Astrid started to move into the cage, her axe drawn, but Dagur almost immediately released Hiccup, as if surprised he had caused him pain. Hiccup waved her back.

"You're safe, Dagur. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore, okay?"

"B...Brother?" he whispered and then crawled to Hiccup, laid his head on Hiccup's lap and silently cried. "My...brother."

"Uh...awkward," Tuffnut muttered, wide-eyed

Hiccup glanced at the others, significantly mortified, but put his good hand against Dagur's head, as Astrid had often done to comfort him. "What did they do to you?" he muttered sympathetically.

Dagur had been a thorn in his side, a constant threat to Berk and had tried to steal Toothless from him multiple times. He'd even threatened to kill his father, and Hiccup had thought often about hurting him, badly, but this...no one deserved this.

"What has he been given to eat?"

"Bread and water, Chief. Standard for prisoners."

Hiccup sighed, he supposed it was better than rats. "Ruff, Tuff, run to the kitchens and fetch me some chicken, fish and potatoes."

"Uh...what?"

"Do it!" Hiccup snapped, as he continued to soothe Dagur, and noticed the festering wounds around his wrists and neck. "Astrid, has Gothi seen him yet?"

She shook her head, simply amazed at the compassion her husband was capable of. She had felt herself pitying Dagur, but had not allowed it to sway her because of their past dealings with him. She'd have to make sure Hiccup's caring nature didn't end up bringing them more grief, but for now she would listen.

"I'll bring her." She hopped up on Stormfly and was off.

"Hic...cup?" Dagur looked up at the young man holding him, offering him comfort. "Sta...Stay away. He...he'll kill...don't...don't..."

"Who will kill me, Dagur? The Master?"

"Hate...Hates you...such...such hate." Dagur lowered his eyes again and curled closer to Hiccup. "Stay...away. Can't...won't tell...don't want to tell..." Tears fell from his eyes once more and he stated to sob again. "S...sorry, Brother. I'm sorry."

"You told The Master about me," Hiccup guessed, and never brushed his hand over Dagur's hair. He could only imagine how they had tortured Dagur for the information. "It's okay, Dagur. It's okay."

"Such...hate." Dagur shivered and Hiccup managed to pull the blanket from the other side of the cage and drape it over him.

Whoever the Master was, it definitely wasn't the Chief of the Noman tribe. Yakun was a blowhard and a complainer, but inside he was a coward. He wouldn't have the stomach for torture. Yakun may still know something though, and Hiccup would just have to wait for Fishlegs and Snotlout to return from their mission to learn more.

He had an idea who Dagur might be referring to, and the idea made his stomach churn painfully. It shouldn't be possible, but after seeing Dagur and what happened on Outcast Island, he had to consider the impossible at this point.

Tuff and Ruff arrived with the food and a large tankard of water, then stood outside the cage, warily.

"Dagur," Hiccup said quietly as he started to pull away. "I have some food for you, real food, and I want you to try and eat it, okay?"

Dagur clutched at him again, making Hiccup feel even more awkward, but after a moment the Berserker released him. Slowly rising, careful of his ribs, he walked to the entrance of the cage and took the plate and tankard from Tuff. He set them down next to Dagur, and after looking at Hiccup for permission, Dagur tore into the meal like a man possessed.

Hiccup backed out and closed the door, sighed heavily. The guard quickly locked it again.

"Jeeze, you'd think he hadn't eaten for weeks," Ruffnut grimaced.

"Yeah," Hiccup muttered grimly, remembering the rat carcasses and bones that had littered Dagur's cell. He turned away.

"Hic...cup!"

He turned back and saw that Dagur had discarded his food and was reaching for the bars again, reaching for him.

"I'll be back, Dagur."

Dagur's eyes were desperate. "P...promise?"

"I promise."

Dagur hesitated for only a moment longer, then crawled back to his food and continued to eat.

"Tell Astrid to have Gothi treat his wounds when she gets here," he said to Ruffnut as he climbed carefully aboard Toothless. "Have the guards hold him down if necessary, but I don't want him hurt if it can be avoided."

"Hiccup." Ruffnut walked over to him, put her hand on his leg. "Who the hell is this Master?"

"I'm not sure. I have to check, I have to be sure." He urged Toothless in the air. "I'll be back."

Hiccup ignored the throbbing in his ribs as he urged Toothless faster, trying to edge back the raw feeling of panic that clawed up from his stomach and into his throat. Please let him be wrong. Please let it not be true.

Toothless whined when he saw that they were nearing Outcast Island, and flapped his wings, refusing to land.

"Toothless! Come on, we have to go down there."

Toothless veered left, remembering the blow of heat, the ringing in his ears and then the hard impact of water. He remembered seeing his rider flying beside him and helpless to do anything but watch him fall.

"Please, Bud, I need to know the truth!"

With several more whines and moans, Toothless finally landed in the center of the village again and instantly started to growl.

Hiccup slid off of him and started towards the forge, only to have Toothless grab him by the back of his flight suit and tug him back.

"It's okay, Bud." He smoothed his hand over the agitated Night Fury's head. "Just stay close. We'll only be here for a minute, I promise."

Toothless did follow him closely, so closely that Hiccup was forced to hold onto the dragon's head as he walked to maintain his balance, because Toothless' tail kept wrapping around him, as if trying to guard him from all sides.

Finally they made it to the forge and Hiccup pushed inside. Toothless growled, because it was too small in there for him to enter.

"Just a minute, Bud, I promise."

Hiccup quickly scanned over the broken weapons in a box, the cold dead fires and the cooling bucket. All finished or good weapons were gone, but he wasn't looking for weapons. He ripped away the cobwebs hovering over his head as he moved further inside, found a stack of yellow and mildewed papers spread haphazardly across a simple wooden bench.

He rummaged through the drawings and diagrams of new swords and weapons, as well as a few outdated contraptions to trap dragons that the Outcasts had tried to use on them many years before. He checked the wall pockets above the bench, then looked around on the floor.

Toothless growled again and rumbled for him to hurry up.

"Yes, I'm coming." He sighed, finding nothing, and then started back towards the entrance. His eye caught on the corner of something buried in the dirt and he crouched, wincing, to retrieve it. It was only half a page, but it was enough to confirm his suspicions and dread washed over him.

He stepped outside and climbed atop Toothless, who eagerly bounded into the air. "We're in trouble, boy. Big trouble."

As Hiccup neared Berk again, Astrid pulled up on Stormfly just to his left and the twins on his right.

"Are you crazy?" she screamed at him, furious when she had seen the direction he had come from.

When Ruff had told her Hiccup flew off somewhere, she'd had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she never actually believed he'd be stupid enough to return to Outcast Island, especially not alone.

"I'm sorry!" he snapped back, his hands were shaking from fear and adrenalin, but he knew he had worried her, hurt her. "I had to, Astrid."

"What if someone else was waiting for you? What if there had been another trap?"

"Yeah, Dude," Tuff agreed. "That was totally uncool."

"There wasn't, I'm fine."

"Hiccup!"

"Astrid!" he barked back as they landed by his house. "We have bigger problems." He stormed inside, startling Valka who was sweeping.

"What's going on?" she asked as the other riders followed her son inside.

"I know who's behind everything, who the Master is." He slapped the paper on the table and everyone gasped. Even with half of the diagram missing, it was easy to decipher what the drawing was; a man's arm.

Valka's hand flew to her mouth. "Drago."

* * *

**_I have noticed that people seem to think Mildew was the person Hiccup rescued, because he had referenced him, but I twice refer to it NOT being mildew, first in chapter 6 when he first finds Dagur_**

"Mildew?"

_When the creature raised his head Hiccup's eyes widened in shock and horror_

**_The reference that his eyes widen in shock, gives a hint that it could be someone else and I never refer to him as Mildew after that._**

**_ The second reference is in Chapter 10, when Astrid asks if Hiccup remembered finding a survivor  
_**

"Oh, right. Well...do you remember finding a survivor?"

He thought for a moment, then remembered seeing the bearded, starving prisoner. "Mildew..." His eyes widened as the prisoner's face came into view. "No. Not Mildew."

So you know then that the prisoner he found is someone else.

Hope that clears things up. :-)


	13. Chapter 13

_Are you all still here? Excellent, I haven't scared you away. YAY! Thank you everyone for the reviews, your feed back really helps me to write a better story. This chapter is a little long, but I didn't think you would mind that much. ;-)_

* * *

Hiccup flew over the island, checking on everyone's preparations to defend Berk against attack, which he knew would be coming eventually. It had been over a week since he had found out the man who was responsible for his father's death was alive, Drago Bludvist, whom everyone thought to have drown when he was blasted off his frost dragon.

Hiccup worried about Drago showing up with that bewilderbeast again, unsure they could survive a second attack from it. They'd gotten through the first one, thanks to Toothless and he knew they had the dragons on their side now. Drago would also know that and would devise a way to try and break their new loyalty to Toothless, who was now the Alpha.

Three years. The man had been alive for three years. Had Drago amassed another dragon army in that time? Would dragons be forced to fight dragons again, or would they be fighting other Vikings, like Yakun's men?

Four days ago Eret had flown off to check with some of his old trapper buddies, to see if there were any new murmurings about someone capturing dragons again, but he still had not returned and Hiccup was beginning to worry about him.

Hiccup figured that Drago had learned a lot about him in the last three years, from Dagur and Alvin and Thor only knew who else. Which meant he couldn't be predictable. He couldn't use any of his own strategies, just in case Drago expected them or knew how to counter them.

Snotlout and Fishlegs had returned from Weasel Island and reported that there seemed to be no indication that they were mounting another attack. Both riders had been shocked to hear that Drago was not dead, and so they agreed to take turns checking on Yakun, just in case.

He dropped down by a small hut just outside of the main village square where two large Vikings stood guard.

"Morning, Chief!"

"Hey. How is he today?"

"Quiet, but cooperative. Are you going in?"

"Yeah."

The guard opened the door and stepped into the house with Hiccup. Inside, a living area had been set up, as well as a good, solid bed in the corner. There was a fireplace, but it had a thick grate across it to give heat but no access to the fire, which was stoked from the outside of the house. The window hatches on the roof allowed the light and breeze of day in, but were too small to crawl up through.

Dagur the Deranged sat at the table finishing off the breakfast the guards had brought him. He was allowed only food he could eat with his fingers, no utensils that could be used as a weapon.

"Hiccup!" Dagur rose quickly to go to him, then stumbled back when the guard behind the Chief drew his sword. "I won't hurt you, Brother."

"How are you feeling Dagur?" Hiccup asked.

He hadn't the heart to keep Dagur in that cage, but nor could he just let the man go. The alternative was to try and give him a sense of freedom and comfort, but keep him under heavy watch. Dagur seemed to have reacted positively to the change, gaining weight, although he was nowhere near healthy yet, and he had more periods of lucidity. It appeared that Hiccup came at the right time.

"Can you sit?" Dagur asked, and eagerly pulled out one of the two chairs at the table. "I would talk with you."

"Is there anything else you remember about the Master, Dagur? Anything you can tell me about his plans?"

Dagur seemed put out that Hiccup wouldn't sit, but then he shrugged and returned to his breakfast. "What does it matter?"

"It matters to me, Dagur. I need to know what he is planning."

Dagur popped a grape into his mouth, then another, chewed. "I tried to protect you, Brother. I did, but he..." A flash of fear fell over Dagur for a moment then it was gone. "Do you remember the time we went hunting Night Furies, Brother? Oh what fun we had."

Hiccup rubbed the bridge of his nose, he was getting a headache. "Dagur, I need you to focus. Do you remember anything about Drago..."

Dagur's eyes shot to his, alive with need and madness. "Why should I tell you? You will not even sit with me."

Hiccup sighed. He didn't know if Dagur's obsession with him came out of a need for human contact after so long imprisoned or something deeper, darker. He took the chair opposite Dagur, watched the guard move forward to stand closer to the Beserker, least he try anything.

"Are you getting enough to eat?" he asked Dagur.

"Yes. Thank you." Dagur glanced at the guard, sneered, then stretched his hand towards Hiccup, offering him a grape.

"I'm not hungry."

"Take it."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and reached for the grape, only to have Dagur snatch his hand and pull him halfway across the table so their faces were only inches apart.

"I know what he wants!" Dagur hissed as the guard lifted his sword to knock Dagur back.

Hiccup waved his man back, ignored the biting grip of the mad man before him and met Dagur's wild eyes. "What does he want?"

"To kill you. He wants to see you burn, Brother, to see all of Berk in ruin." Dagur leaned even closer, his voice lowered to a whisper as his grip tightened. "I will not let him hurt you! I will see him dead first. We are united. You came for me, Brother. You always come for me."

"Let go of me, Dagur." Hiccup tried to pull away but kept his voice calm. "Dagur, you're hurting me."

For a split second Hiccup saw the old Dagur, the sneering, over- confident Viking who had tried to drown him as a boy for fun, and then just as quickly shock and remorse replaced it. "No!" Dagur loosened his grip, then proceeded to gently rub Hiccup's wrist. "No. Never hurt you. I'll save you. I'll save you like you saved me."

"Yes, sure, okay that...that's fine, Dagur." Hiccup finally managed to get his hand back and avoided looking at the horrified expression on the Viking guard; he imagined his own face looked quite ill as well. "Thanks for your help."

"Wait!" Dagur bolted to his feet and immediately found the guard's hands on his arms, shoving him back down in his chair. "I have something. I have..." Dagur shrugged the guard off and started hitting himself in the head. "I had it...I had...something, it was there...it is The Master, he...he..." His eyes widened and turned to Hiccup again. "Sorcery. He has...he has a woman...a woman to...a witch."

Hiccup swallowed hard and wondered if this was true or part of Dagur's delusions. "Are you sure? Do you know what she is? What her powers are?"

Dagur lowered his head. "Pain," he murmured darkly. "Her power is pain."

Gods! What did that mean? What exactly were they dealing with? Hiccup nodded to the guard who moved back to the door. "Thank you, Dagur."

"Hiccup?"

"Yes?"

"May I...could you...it would be nice to have something to read. Something to...to focus on?"

Hiccup nodded as the guard opened the door. "I'll bring you some books."

"Thank you, Brother. Thank you."

"Mad as a loon that one," the guard commented as he locked the door to Dagur's hut.

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed and massaged his wrist, glad Dagur hadn't grabbed the broken one.

He still wore the splint, and had been warned by Gothi not to use it, but he had to sometimes. He just put up with the pain or chewed on those awful roots she had. His ribs were a little better, but he still had to wear the wrap around his middle. He found if he applied ice to them before he went to bed at night, he could get through the pain well enough.

His next stop was the forge to check on the new weapons and shields Gobber was preparing. A little over a year ago, they had finally managed to figure out the original formula for Meatlug's Gronkle Iron, and now Hiccup was having the blacksmith make all of their weapons and shields with this material. They needed every advantage in the fight against Drago Bludvist.

"Hiccup?"

He turned carefully, having learned his lesson to favour his ribs, and smiled at Valka. "Hi, Mom." He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Cloud Jumper and I will be leaving for the Isle of D to gather the dragons and bring them back here."

The Isle of D was the island that his mother had found for all the dragons that Drago had captured and also those from her island with the King Alpha. He wanted to bring them back to Berk for the time being, not for the protection of his people, but for the dragon's protection against Drago. If Drago had been responsible for the atrocities found in the caves on Outcast Island, he couldn't leave the dragons unprotected. And, strategically, it was better to have them here, fighting for Berk, than against their wills for Drago.

He looked over her dragon rider outfit and was thrown back to the first time he had seen her in it, which immediately made him think about his father. "Take the twins with you."

"They're both very busy with the beach barracks, I'll be fine..."

"Then take Lars and Gontur." He wasn't about to allow her to fly off alone, he'd already lost track of Eret.

"Oh, Hiccup. I don't need anyone to come with us."

"Mom, please, you..."

"Cloud Jumper and I we'll be fine. We've been taking care of each other for a long time, son."

"I know that. I'm not doubting your...abilities, or that of Cloud Jumper, I just..."

"Good, because the island is only a couple of days from here and the dragons will follow Cloud Jumper back."

Hiccup stared down at the pencil in his hand, felt his heart well up in his throat and a layer of heat chorus through him. He remembered that feeling well, he had felt it every single time he had defied his father.

"Take Mulch and Bucket, then."

Valka stared at him, confused. "Hiccup..."

"You're taking someone with you, Mom." He looked up at her and his gaze was firm. "The Twins or two of our best fighters, but someone will go with you. I don't expect you to understand my reasons or agree with them, but I do expect you to do as I say."

She blinked, startled at the change in him. She looked at Gobber who simply stared back at her. His Chief had given a direct order, if she wanted to refuse, that was on her.

She nodded, slowly. "Okay. All right, I'll take the twins."

Hiccup released a breath and nodded. "Good. Okay, good." When his mother started to turn away, obviously hurt, he reached for her hand. "Mom. I...It's just...I can't lose you again."

Her gaze softened and she put her hand to his cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to anyone worrying about me."

"Well, you'll have to get used to it because I do."

She leaned in, kissed his cheek. "I'll be a good girl. I'll go tell Ruff and Tuff."

Hiccup nodded, watched her leave, then he and Gobber went back to their discussion about weapons, just as Astrid walked up.

"Good afternoon, Milady," he smiled and accepted the kiss she planted on his cheek.

Despite the pain and stress he was under he was trying to maintain a positive and cheerful demeanor, especially around Astrid. He didn't want her taking on too much on his behalf, and she would if she knew he was feeling overwhelmed.

She handed both him and Gobber a pair of thick mutton sandwiches. "You skipped breakfast," she scolded gently. "Thought you would be hungry."

Hiccup took a bite and nodded. "Mmmm, thank you." He wasn't the least bit hungry, his stomach churned every time he thought of Drago attacking, but he would eat it for her benefit. He pulled a chair over and gently pushed her into it. "Now sit down."

She grinned. "I feel fine."

"You weren't fine this morning."

"That's normal, Hiccup," she assured, although she wasn't thrilled about the bout of sickness that had her bolting from her bed just before sunrise. "I'm okay." She rose again. "I'm going to take Stormfly and go check on the fire breach."

"I've already checked, it's coming along fine."

"Oh. Okay, well I'll go help with the positioning the catapults."

"They're already in position," Gobber advised finishing off his sandwich and turning back to his work.

She smirked and out her hand on her hip. "Then I'll help with the sandbagging..."

Hiccup waved his hand. "I have plenty of people doing that."

"Did either of you leave me anything to do?"

He took another bite of his sandwich and shrugged. "Gobber?"

"Nope."

He smiled at her. "There you have it, Milady. Why don't you go have a nice soak in the tub?"

"At ten past in the morning?"

"It's never too early or late for a nice warm bath."

Gobber shuddered and made a noise of disgust as he cooled the sword he was working on.

"Gobber, mind if I borrow our Chief for a moment?"

He waved and continued his blacksmithing, chuckling as Astrid yanked Hiccup towards the back room.

"Hey!" he cried out before he could help it. He dropped his sandwich on the bench and put his good hand to his ribs, as she let the blanket that separated the back room fall across the doorway. "Careful."

"Oh for..." In two heartbeats she had his armor off and the top of his flight suit open. She pulled a block of ice from the cooler Gobber kept in there, lifted his tunic and put the ice against his bandaged ribs.

"You need to stop this, Hiccup!"

He hissed and then sighed as the ice started to numb his throbbing ribs. "They were fine until you manhandled me, Astrid." he countered, deliberately misunderstanding her.

She punched his arm, hard.

"Ow!" He glared at her, offended. "Come on!"

"You promised me you were not going to hover, Hiccup."

"I'm not...how am I hovering? I'm just doing what a Chief does..."

"You're still injured yet you're trying to do everything yourself to keep me from doing anything."

"I...I'm not!" He absolutely was, well, with Gobber's help anyway, but how could he help it? She was carrying his child for Thor's sake, and they were facing an imminent attack. Did she really expect him to let her walk into the fray while pregnant?

"I'm not fragile, Hiccup. I won't break!"

"Neither will I, Astrid! If you want to accuse someone of hovering, accuse yourself!" He didn't mean to snap, but damn it, her hauling him in like that had hurt! He pulled her hand, and the soothing ice away from his aching ribs and adjusted his clothing as well as he could with one hand. "If you had your way I wouldn't be allowed out of the house."

"You're still hurt!"

"And you're still pregnant!"

She glared at him.

Ever since she had revealed her pregnancy he was overdoing things trying to keep her safe and comfortable. He was up every morning before everyone else to make her breakfast, which he would serve her in bed, or, if she was having a bout of sickness, he would fetch her water and a cool cloth, hold her hair and rub her back as she purged her stomach. In the evenings he was home to fix supper, refusing to let her help, and then he would rub her back and her feet, then head back out for more of his duties.

Most of that was incredibly sweet and she enjoyed, but she noticed the last few days that he had taken over her usual duties as his Right Hand as well, leaving her almost nothing to do during the day and she was going insane. All of this while still had broken ribs and a broken wrist.

Knowing that he would ignore her requests to slow down and rest because of his injuries, she turned the conversation back to her other issue. "Hiccup, please I need something to do."

"I gave you something to do."

She rolled her eyes. "Inventory our supplies with Fishlegs and help make ropes. Hiccup, I need more!"

"Astrid, you promised to take it easy..."

"So did you!"

"I can't! Drago could be attacking us at any moment! I can't stay in bed and wait to get better. What... do you want me to send him a message and say, Dear Bloodthirsty bastard who killed my father, I'm still recovering from your first assignation attempt. Could you put the next one off a couple of months until I'm all better. Love, Hiccup."

Astrid felt the grin tug at her lips and held it back, knowing it would just make him mad. He said the funniest things when he was frustrated. "I know that, and that's all the more reason to let me help you. We both need to prepare to defend against Drago, you can't do it alone, Hiccup."

"I'm not alone and you will be in the caves with the children and expectant mothers once the attack starts, Astrid."

She gaped at him. "You...you can't be serious! I'm one of your best warriors! You can't leave me out of this!"

He took her arm. "You are the mother of our child and you have to be kept safe."

She shook her head. "I'm only a couple months..."

"I don't care if you are a couple of hours, you are carrying a child inside you and we are not going to risk the health of that child or you."

"But I can still help!" she insisted. "I don't have to fight, but I can still help. You can't leave me out of this, Hiccup! I'm your Right Hand and I'm your wife!"

"I've made my decision, Astrid."

She glowered at him. "Have you?"

Seeing she was upset with him, and understanding her right to be, he pulled her against him. "Please, Astrid. Do this for me? I can't be worried about you once Drago attacks. I have to be focused on him, on the battle. If you are there beside me I'll be distracted!" He held her tighter. "He has already taken my father, I can't...I won't let him take anyone else I love from me."

She could feel him trembling against her and realized the depth of his fear for her. She sighed and hugged him back. "Babe, we're gonna need everyone to make it through this." She reached up, caressed his cheek. "I promise to stay away from the fighting,. I don't want to lose our baby either, but there are other things I can do, other ways I'll be needed."

Hiccup closed his eyes tightly. "Astrid..."

"I'll be careful. I promise I won't take any risks, but I can...I can help load the weapons, or the signal fires or..."

"If he brings the Bewilderbest again the only place you will be safe is in the mountain, Astrid!" He cupped her face. "I want you and my mother in the Great Hall. I won't be moved on this and you can hate me for it all you want, but you will both be protected!"

She saw the fury in his eyes, the fear and the determination to have his way. It was so rare to see this side of him, the unmoving, no-nonsense side that every Chief needed to possess.

"Okay," she agreed quietly. "I'll go to the caves once the fighting starts, but Hiccup it hasn't started yet, so please let me help you. You're still recovering and if you try and do everything yourself you'll be too exhausted to fight Drago when he comes."

He knew she was right, and so he conceded. "Fine, do as you like, but..." He pulled her back to him when she started to move away. "Not too much. Promise me you won't over do it, Astrid. You have to take care of yourself now."

She nodded. "I promise."

He released a deep shuddering breath and let his hand drop to his side. He hated arguing with her, absolutely hated it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled, kissed him, then saw helped him back on with his armor.


	14. Chapter 14

_Thanks again everyone for the great reviews! Okay, so because this is a darker storyline, I am veering off the path just a bit from the usual HTTYD universe, to employ the small use of sorcery. There will also be a bit of back story on Gothi because of this, in later chapters because I adore her._

_I hope you will still enjoy it. For those wondering about the Isle of D, it was just what I came up with, stands for the Island of Dragons, there was already a Dragon Island and I didn't want them to be too similar._

* * *

"Dagur said that she was a sorceress of pain," Hiccup sighed as he sat at Gothi's table. "I don't know what I can trust of his ramblings. I don't know how confused he is, but I have to consider everything."

Gothi nodded.

"I don't know what you know of...of such things but it has to be more than I know." He played with his wedding ring, turning it on his finger over and over. "If it's true, how...how do we fight? How can I keep everyone safe from something that I don't understand?"

Gothi sat and stared into her fire pit. She rose, selected some items from her cupboard, set them on her center pedestal. Into a bowl she mixed several herbs and powders, then she took a candle and touched flame to the mixture. It sparked and a blue green flame shot from the bowl, lingered for a few seconds, then died, leaving a strange pattern in the bowl.

With the bowl in her hand Gothi limped over to her bone pallet and Hiccup rose to help her kneel beside it. She pulled him down with her, took his hand and dipped it into the burnt mixture, which was surprisingly cool. Holding her smaller hand tightly over his closed fist for several seconds, she whispered silent words, then helped him release the mixture onto the pallet.

She took her bones, shook them and let them scatter across the hard stone and scattered substance.

Hiccup watched the process, fascinated, then was shocked as she went completely stiff and, for the first time ever in his life, he heard her speak.

_Death to the Slayer if vengeance is won_

_Pain upon pain a life comes undone_

_A mistress of magic will put one to test_

_Heart of the dragon will take care of the rest_

Hiccup didn't know which frightened him more, the words that poured from Gothi's lips, or hearing the deep gravelly voice come from a woman whom no one had ever heard speak.

She went limp again, slumped forward and hid her face behind her hands. Hiccup tentatively put his arm around her.

"G...Gothi?"

When she lifted her head there were tears in her eyes. Gods! How bad was this going to get?

"That...What did that mean? Is...Can I even fight this...this woman?"

She cupped his cheek, stared into his eyes, then shook her head, as if advising there was nothing to be done. She rose, again with Hiccup's help, and leaned heavily on her stick. She moved in behind the curtain that held her bedroom area, as she could no longer climb the steps to her loft.

Hiccup remained on his knees, still shocked from what had happened. When she returned he staggered to his feet and moved to her.

She carried a small wooden chest, which she set on the table. She waved him forward and opened the chest. Inside was a sliver amulet on a chain with a large red stone. Sitting down, she indicated that Hiccup should crouch before her and he did so. She settled the amulet around his neck, then took his hand and the small paring knife from her table.

She made a shallow cut across his palm, smiled at him when he did not even flinch, then made a similar cut on her own hand.

"Gothi, no..."

Hiccup didn't know very much about how the elder used her healing skills and magic, but he knew that Blood Magic was strictly forbidden. He had heard that drawing on such power was a considerable drain on the spell caster, and at Gothi's advanced age it could weaken her to near death.

"You can't..."

Gothi held his gaze as she pressed her tiny, aged and bleeding hand into his, then put her other hand over the amulet she had placed around his neck.

Hiccup's head reared back at the slice of pain and fire that suddenly burned through him. Gothi's grip was all that was keeping him upright as blinding white light seared his vision. Fragments of visions slipped in and out of his mind at an alarming rate, a young blond girl, a burning ship, dragon fire, but none he could hold onto; none he recognized.

It was over almost as soon as it began and he seemed to be thrown backwards onto the floor as the connection was severed. He lay there for a moment, dazed, confused, frightened, and then slowly sat up.

"Gothi!" He scrambled to the fragile old woman huddled on the floor opposite him, having fallen from her chair. He slid his arms beneath her and rose. "Gothi? Gothi, are you okay?"

He brought her into her bedroom area and gently placed her on the bed, she was pale, nearly motionless, but breathing.

"Gothi?" He pulled her hair away from her face. "Gothi? What did you do? Gothi?"

He bolted up and ran for the door, he needed to find her apprentice, Djor; he did not notice that the stone in the amulet Gothi had placed around his neck had turned a bright shimmering blue.

"She has cast a protection spell upon you," Djor said awhile later as he stood over the old woman on the bed. "She will sleep until the spell is broken."

Hiccup hadn't realized that Gothi was capable of such magic. "Will...will she die?"

"I do not know. She has taught me only healing medicine."

"Then how do you know what this is?"

"She has allowed me to read some of her texts, and it sounds like a protection spell." He looked at Hiccup, firmly. "Do not remove that amulet, my Chief. Wear it, even in sleep."

"She said something, when she was looking at the bones, but I don't understand any of it."

"Tell me?"

Hiccup recited what he could remember.

"I will think on it." Djor moved into the main area and filled a small basin with water. "I will care for Gothi, you must go."

Hiccup considered mentioning the blood magic, as yet he had only told the apprentice about Gothi's spell and not that they had mixed their blood. He decided not to, after all, it was forbidden magic.

"Thank you, Djor. Let me know if there is any change."

Hiccup left and climbed aboard Toothless, pulled out the red tether he carried for luck in his pocket, used as a blindfold for Toothless during the last battle with Drago, and wound it around the cut on his hand; it no longer bled but still burned.

He tried to push back the guilt that threatened to claim him. No, he couldn't think about that. Gothi was an elder, she was _the_ elder and the only one he knew that was familiar with magic. He had needed her council, he needed as much information as he could get to defeat Drago and protect his tribe.

As he flew back across the island, he wished, not for the first time, that he had not been the son of a Chief.

"Hey, Chief!"

Hiccup glanced to his side as the Zippleback appeared beside him in the sky, his riders smiling at him. "What...are you back already?"

"Back from where?" Ruffnut asked.

"The Isle of D. Didn't you go with Mom?"

The twins looked at each other, then back at Hiccup.

"Uh...were we supposed to?"

A feeling of dread crawled up from Hiccup's stomach and into his throat. No. She wouldn't! "Have...Did anyone go with her? Mulch? Sven? Anyone?"

They shrugged helplessly and Hiccup urged Toothless faster. It took him only a short time to find out that Valka had flown off without an escort. He stopped at his house, a last ditch hope that Astrid had gone with her, but his wife ran out as soon as he landed.

"Hiccup!" She hurried to him, her uncle Fin close behind, and handed him the piece of note paper. "I just got in and found this!"

Hiccup snatched the note and the earlier dread pressing down on him turned to fear.

_**My dearest son,**_

_**I am sorry to disobey you, but I cannot allow Drago to hurt you. I fought him for years and know all his allies and weaknesses. I will find him and put an end to this before he ever gets to Berk. Please forgive me, but I could not allow him to take you too. Your father will be avenged.**_

_**Love, your mother.**_

"NO!" He bawled the note up and threw it away then moved for Toothless. He had to find her! He had to stop her!

"Hiccup!" Astrid pulled at his arm. "You can't go after her, babe."

He gapped at her. "What...I have to! I have to bring her back! She can't do this alone, she..."

Astrid caught his face between both of her hands, saw the fear and desperation in his eyes, and something more, the pain of betrayal that Valka had effectively abandoned him once again.

"I know! I'm worried too, but we need you here, Hiccup. You have to be here in case Drago attacks. Just like you couldn't go search for Eret, you can't go after Valka." If her mother-in-law ever returned she would beat her bloody for doing this to Hiccup, for leaving him with such a choice. "There is too much at stake."

"She's my mother!" he screamed, shook her off and wished the Gods would stop tormenting him with such impossible choices. "I can't lose her again! I won't!"

"She made her choice! She chose to leave." She watched him flinch as if she had physically slapped him. "She did it for you, babe, for us. I don't agree with her, but she was trying to help."

"I can't...I don't..." Gods! What could he do? Astrid was right, he couldn't leave his tribe unprotected, not that he thought his being there would make that much difference, but he had a responsibility to them. A Chief protects his own, but Valka was his mother, he had to protect her too.

"We'll go, Hiccup," Ruffnut offered, as they had stayed with him on his journey around the island to learn about his mother. "We'll head to The Isle of D right now."

"No, I...I need you here and she probably isn't even there. I..."

Hiccup started to pace and ran a hand through his hair and over his face, his mind racing with possible strategies, choices and consequences. He needed everyone here, the few that could be spared had gone to search for Eret. Snotlout and Fishlegs were busy keeping an eye on the Noman tribe. Everyone else had been assigned to a task for the eminent attack, the only ones that weren't would be the people sent to the caves.

"Chief?"

Hiccup turned to Fin, as if only then realizing Astrid's uncle was there. "What...Why are you here? Did you need something?"

"I came by today to speak with you about..." Fin shook his head, then pulled his sword and fell to one knee before this impossibly young and brave Chief. "I will find Valka. I will bring her back to you."

Hiccup appreciated the thought, but he couldn't allow Fin to fly off on his own either. "You can't. Not alone. You..."

"He will not be alone!"

Everyone turned as Skull Crusher dropped down beside them, along with the two other Vikings on smaller dragons, the men Hiccup had sent off in search of Eret. Each rider had another man with them.

"Where in Thor's name have you been?" Astrid snapped, even as relief flooded through her that they were safe.

"Forgive me." Eret hopped off of Skull Crusher and quickly embraced Hiccup, then pulled back. "I have much to tell, and not near enough time to tell it. Drago will be here in less than two days."

"You've seen him?" Hiccup demanded. "Is he coming by sea or by air?"

"Sea and he has the entire Berserker armada with him."

Oh no! "How?" Hiccup shook it away, it didn't matter how. "Does he have any dragons with him?"

"Yes, I will explain everything, but first..." He waved for the newcomers to dismount. "This is Thorjn the Terrible and Masin the Mighty of the Northern Tribe Kundin. I know of them from my days as a trapper. Drago had attacked them in the past, before you defeated him. They too thought he was dead."

Thorjn and Masin both bent to their knee and put their fist to their chest, but it was Thorjn who spoke.

"Word of your great deeds and valour has reached far and wide, Chief Hiccup. My father is Chief Tofi the Triumphant, who greatly respected Stoick the Vast. We offer our ships, our blood and our swords to your cause against this common enemy. One hundred of our fastest ships are on their way to Berk and I give you the vow of my people to fight at your side and defeat this monster, or follow you to Valhalla and sing of your glory to the All-Father as we rise."

Hiccup was speechless. They wanted to help? They were offering themselves to _him_ for battle? He hadn't even considered asking another tribe for help, he had not wanted anyone else hurt. To refuse their offer would dishonour them, so he clasped Thorjn's wrist firmly as he pulled the larger man from his knee.

"I...Thank you, Thorjn, son of Tofi. " A hundred ships. Would it make a difference against the Beserker fleet? It had to. He would make sure that it did, and that these brave men did not offer their lives to him in vain. "I accept your help and will be honoured to have you with us." He did the same with Masin.

"Now, what is this about Lady Valka?" Eret demanded.

"She flew off to find Drago and face off with him alone," Astrid stated.

Eret smirked. "Well, you cannot fault her courage. May I suggest Masin and Lars can accompany Fin in the search?"

Hiccup nodded and allowed himself a sliver of hope. "Yes." He turned to the twins. "Find the others and meet us in the great hall."

They nodded and flew of as the other Vikings mounted their dragons, with the exception of Skull Crusher.

"Thank you." Astrid said to Fin and hugged him hard.

Hiccup clapped Fin's forearm in appreciation. "Bring her back to us, Frændi."

Fin stood just a little taller at the familiar term and nodded. "My word on it, Chief."

Fin called for his own dragon, and then the dragons lifted into the air again.


	15. Chapter 15

_Thank you so much everyone who reviewed! Sorry for the delay in posting, but a lot going on at the moment. Hope you enjoy this next chapter, it is a long one and I apologize for that, but it just didn't want to stop going!_

* * *

Hiccup, Astrid and Eret and Thorjn stood at one of the tables in the Great Hall, studying the maps Hiccup spread across it. Toothless settled behind his rider and started to wash himself.

Astrid punched Eret hard in the arm.

"Ow!"

"That's for letting us think you were dead!" she growled

Eret glanced at Hiccup, annoyed. "Is she always like this?"

"Pretty much," Hiccup admitted, but shot his wife a look that warned if she now kissed the muscular trapper, she would be in deep trouble. She simply smirked at him.

"Babe?" Astrid touched the amulet around his neck. "Where did you get this?"

"Gothi."

Astrid then noticed the wrapping around her husband's hand. "And this?"

"It's nothing." He turned to Eret as his friend brought two extra lamps to the table to better see the maps. "Do you know where Drago and the Berserker fleet are now?"

Eret looked over the hand drawn atlas, then pointed. "I would guess they are here by now, based on when I saw them last."

"And your people, Thorjn?"

The Viking pointed to another area, almost directly opposite of where Eret had indicated Drago to be. "Knowing my father they have made it to hear at least."

Hiccup frowned. "That would put them at three, maybe four days before they got here."

"Chief Tofi is the best sailor in the North Seas, Hiccup," Eret assured. "He'll make sure they're here in two, trust me."

"Yes," Thorjn agreed. "That is why my father went with our ships and I flew here to meet you. He is a most formidable captain of the sea."

Hiccup nodded. Okay, so either way it left the, with a minimum of two days before Drago arrived, unless they got caught in a storm. Hiccup silently prayed for Thor's intervention to allow them more time.

"What about flying our dragons out there?" Astrid asked. "Stop the fleet before it reaches Berk?"

Hiccup had already considered it, and he felt a moment of pride that he and Astrid thought so much alike. They had no idea what Drago might have for weapons and the former dragon Master would see them coming as there would be no protection while they were in the sky. Also, he didn't have full confidence that their dragons could defeat the entire Berserker armada; not without severe casualties.

He rejected the idea. "No, we'd be exposed." Again he spoke to Eret. "You said he had dragons?"

"Just one."

Hiccup looked at him, felt his stomach clench. "And it isn't the Frost Alpha?"

"No." Eret grimaced. "I'm not sure what kind of dragon it is. It's nowhere near the size of the bewilderbeast from before, I could tell that much because they are keeping it in its own ship that is being towed behind Drago's main boat. They have it hidden under tarps, but I could also see several thick ropes from under the tarps that were lashed to the deck. I couldn't get a very close look without giving away my location."

Hiccup rubbed his forehead, Gods, his head hurt. One more question mark, one more uncertainty to add to the pile. How could he possibly plan and execute anything with so many unknown variables.

He wondered if Drago had somehow used and tortured Dagur to gain insight on how to claim the Berserker Fleet. Dagur's people were incredibly detailed and war-worthy clan, they were powerful, well manned, and cunning. Most other tribes either respected or feared them enough to stay on their good side at all times.

Berk had always held a treaty with the Berserkers, because they couldn't risk open war with them, and luckily Dagur's father had been a relatively agreeable man. Their long standing peace had been broken when Dagur found out about the dragons on Berk, and Hiccup still held some guilt over that. Although the Berserkers had not attempted to attack Berk again, after their Chief's defeat on Outcast Island, Hiccup should have suspected there was a reason why. Now he knew that at least some of that reason was Drago.

Now, that those people were headed towards them, and he didn't know if it was just a few hundred, or the full thousand-ship armada. Drago must have planted the seeds about Dagur and Hiccup's supposed dragon army with Yakun's men, because he had wanted Hiccup to go to Outcast Island.

Was he supposed to have died there, or had that just been a warning? It seemed rather cowardly and out of character for Drago to have him killed without some kind of personal vengeance. Of course, the man had forced Toothless to kill his father rather than fight himself, so perhaps he wasn't as brave as he pretended to be.

Gobber arrived, along with the twins, Mulch, Bucket, Sven, Snotlout and, surprisingly Fishlegs, who just returned from Weasel Island. Astrid and Eret caught them up to date, but Hiccup wasn't really listening. He stared at the map of the waters around Berk, then the drawing he had made of Berk itself, looking for holes in their defenses and searching for solutions.

The armada could surround them easily, and if they used their fire arrows, much of Berk would burn, even with the fire guards and sand bags. They could use their dragons to attack the ships, but even that wouldn't be enough, especially not if Drago had a new dragon. Without knowing that dragon's class and abilities, how could they defend against it? Surrender was not an option, nor was an all out war. People would be decimated on both sides.

He absently reached up to touch the amulet around his neck as he considered the sorceress. What purpose would she play in all of this and what had the words Gothi uttered in her trance meant? If only he had time to digest everything, time to work it all out, but he didn't! Two days, he had less than two days to plan an offensive against an attacking fleet, a dark sorcerers and a bloodthirsty madman. All this while trying not to worry about his mother, or Astrid or all the people he was now responsible for.

He closed his eyes for a moment. If his father was here he would know what to do. Stoick the Vast would know how to defend Berk, how to keep their people safe. The words he spoke after the death of his father haunted him. How could he? How could he become someone that brave, that great? He wasn't brave, he was desperate and he wasn't great he had simply been lucky so far.

There had to be something he was missing, some way that he could end this madness before it began. Could he fly out to Drago, try to talk to him, reason with him? No, he had tried that before and his father died because of his foolish nativity. Drago did not want peace, Dagur had confirmed the Dragon Master wanted Hiccup dead.

Dagur. Could the former Chief of the Berserker tribe help? Would his people listen to him? Did they even know he was alive? Did the armada have any weakness they could exploit and if they did would Dagur be willing to tell him of them?

He couldn't trust Dagur though, not only because of their past dealings, but because after years of torture and captivity the man was not all there. Odin's ghost! What could he do? What should he do? Should he take the word of a known deceiver and possible madman, or should he offer himself to Drago as a sacrifice and hope the man would spare his people?

Astrid watched the flickering of emotions pass over her husband's tired face, aware he was so deep in thought that he no longer heard the voices of those around him. It had not been easy for him, these last few years, having to deal with so much at once. It seemed the Gods constantly were testing him, testing his fortitude as Chief and as a man. It wasn't fair.

She watched him stroke the amulet around his neck and wondered what its purpose was, why Gothi would give it to him? Were they up against more than Drago and the fleet? Was Hiccup keeping things from her? She knew he had gone to see Dagur earlier, but what had the former Berserker told him?

She watched him grab his notebook and start writing something, but he finished and snapped it shut before she could read it.

"Snotlout, have Dagur brought here."

The rider's eyebrows rose but he didn't question it and hurried out.

"What's the plan, Hiccup?" Sven inquired as Eret beckoned to one of the kitchen maids.

Plan? Who has a plan? Hiccup thought grimly. He was flying by the seat of his pants with this one. "Oh, y'know, the usual Viking fare, blood, battle and death." It got a chuckle out of several of them, but Hiccup hadn't been joking.

When a tankard of ale appeared on the table before him, he glanced up at Eret. He and the older man had become very close over the last couple of years, and was much like the older brother Hiccup had always secretly yearned for.

"You need this, my friend," Eret said, with a twinkle in his eye and a toast of his own drink that let Hiccup know once this was all over they would both be getting very drunk. "We all do."

Hiccup stared down into the amber liquid and sighed. He wasn't much of a drinker, but yes, he would need to get very, very drunk later, just to have his mind witless for a few hours and forget about his responsibilities. For now, one drink would do him.

He picked up the tankard and swallowed it down, unaware of the shocked looks of those around him, or the please smile from Eret.

Two women brought a round of ale for everyone else, along with several trays of food and some plates.

"Lily," Gobber grinned with a fatherly-sort of pride that Hiccup had chugged his ale for the first time. "Bring another drink for our Chief."

"No." One was his limit. Hiccup decided and glanced at Toothless who was smacking his lips at the food now on the table. "Just a basket of fish for Toothless, please Lily."

"What are you going to ask Dagur?" Mulch asked.

"He knows the Berserker fleet; maybe he can tell us how to defeat them, or he may be willing to try and reason with them."

"You mean, if we can keep his marbles all in the one basket?"

Hiccup smirked. "Well, he was always deranged, so maybe they won't notice that much of a difference."

He realized that with the tempting aroma of food on the table, he was actually hungry. Reaching for a handful of grapes, he glanced at Astrid and then down at the bench beside him.

Astrid smirked at his silent command and sat down obediently. She wouldn't make a fuss at the overprotective gesture, she knew he needed to have something good to focus on, and if that was her and their baby so be it. She plucked one of the grapes from his hand when he offered them, watched him smile and knew she had made the right choice.

"Do ye think he'll actually betray his own people by telling us the truth?" Gobber asked as he and the others also settled at the table. "And even if he does, he's a few knicks short of an axe. I dinna think we can trust what he says."

Rather than sit, Eret lifted one foot to the table bench and leaned on it. "It doesn't hurt to try, and the Chief can decide whether or not to act on what he tells us."

He plucked a chunk of cheese from one of the plates and tossed it around Hiccup to the Night Fury who was looking mournfully at everyone else's food. Toothless immediately gobbled it up, and smacked his lips.

"He's all we've got right now." Hiccup agreed.

Lily returned with a basket of fish, set it down beside Toothless, who quickly dug in. She then prepared a separate plate of food and offered it to her Chief.

"Thank you," Hiccup smiled at her, then placed the plate in front of Astrid, watched her roll her eyes. When Lily started to prepare a second plate he waved her away. "No, that's fine. We'll share," he assured and she nodded then wandered back towards the kitchens.

Fishlegs picked at his own food, for once having very little appetite. "We can't defeat the Berserker armada, no one can."

"Someone can," Hiccup decided and moved away from the table to pace slowly back and forth, occasionally chewing on a grape; this was a habit he had developed recently as standing still often made him feel so useless. "Maybe it won't be us, but they're men not Gods, they can be defeated."

Astrid tugged on his arm at his third pass of the table and he settled onto the bench beside her; almost immediately her fingers were in his hair, braiding it. This simple action soothed his restlessness instantly.

"The armada we'll deal with only if we have to, but it will help if Dagur can give us any insight into them. Our goal has to be Drago and his new dragon."

Hiccup's hand curled around the pendant again. He would keep news of the dark witch to himself for now, because he had no idea what to do about her. People often feared what they didn't understand, especially magic unless it was from a known healer like Gothi. He saw no point in scaring everyone before he had to, especially when he couldn't even offer a solution to defeat her.

"Dagur said Drago wants me dead, to see me and all of Berk burn, so we can assume vengeance is his main goal."

_Death to the Slayer if vengeance is won_

Hiccup started as Gothi's voice sounded in his head. Drago wanted vengeance, but if he won his vengeance...would that make Hiccup the slayer? That made no sense, he had never slayed anything.

"Well, Drago can want all he likes, but he's not getting anywhere near you," Astrid growled.

Hiccup turned his wife, startled and saw the ferocious protectiveness in her flashing blue eyes. "You promised," he murmured as a gentle reminder.

"I know you don't want me to fight, and yes I promised I wouldn't." She turned her eyes from his and met with each of those around the table. "But hear this now, if any of you let Drago hurt Hiccup, then you will not only have to deal with Drago and the Berserkers, but you'll have to deal with me."

Hiccup watched all his men pale and swallow hard, at the threat, except for Eret who simply smirked and lifted his tankard to her. He caught Astrid's chin so she turned to face him and pressed his lips to hers. "You're beautiful when you're angry."

She flushed, smiled then dipped her head. She didn't know what it as about Hiccup kissing her around their friends, but it made her overwhelmingly shy sometimes. She pulled a piece of cheese off her table and shoved it into his mouth. "Shut up and eat."

"Quite a woman you've got there, Chief," Eret grinned and winked. "Though I really don't know what she sees in you."

"You could have a good woman of your own if you'd get your head out of your ass," Astrid retorted, surprising everyone before they all started to chuckle.

Gobber chuckled. "Aye, when are you going to give up the chase and let that poor lass Bridgett catch you?"

Eret offered his most charming smile. "One can never catch the wind, my friend."

"Besides," Tuffnut snorted. "Hasn't she suffered enough already?"

Gobber sat back and enjoyed the disparaging comments now being tossed at Eret as the others pulled the trapper into a playful battle of words.

Hiccup watched his men, his friends, enjoy a moment of much needed relief from the threat that shadowed all of them and studied the drawings of Berk and the defenses they currently had in place. Picking up his pencil, he made some more adjustments as ideas occurred to him, opening his mouth obediently as Astrid fed them both from her plate.

"I love you."

Hiccup smiled at Astrid's whispered words and is eyes gave her his reply.

"The prisoner is coming, Chief."

Hiccup rose as Snotlout entered and the rest followed, making the group look far more intimidating as two of Dagur's guards stepped through the doors a moment later with the Berserker in hand and feet manacles.

"Brother!" Dagur brightened, but was prevented from moving to the Chief by the grip of the two Vikings at either side of him.

"He is _really_ starting to freak me out," Fishlegs muttered as he moved to stand just behind Hiccup.

"Tell me about it," Hiccup whispered back before moving to the head of the table where Dagur was roughly pushed into a chair. "How are you, Dagur?"

"Are we having a party?" Dagur asked, glancing at the food and ale at the other side of the table. "And I'm invited? How good of you, Brother."

"Why does he keep calling the Chief brother?" Mulch asked Snotlout quietly.

"Cause he's bat-shit crazy."

"Are you hungry, Dagur?" Hiccup offered.

"Starving."

Dagur's eyes held an unfamiliar gleam that concerned Hiccup; he sensed the Berserker wasn't talking about food. Okay, really freaked out now. He nodded to Eret who quickly prepared a small plate and one of the refilled tankards, then set it before Dagur.

Hiccup waved at the food. "Help yourself."

Dagur looked at the plate, then up at Hiccup. He smiled. "You want something."

"Yes."

"Okay." Dagur used his both hands, since they were chained, to reach for his tankard and took several long swallows. "But I would speak with you alone, Brother."

"No."

Dagur scowled, then sat back in the chair and shrugged. "Then I can't help you."

Hiccup chewed the inside of his cheek, debating. Would the information even be worth it?

Seeing his deliberation Dagur sat forward again, tried to reach for Hiccup's hand and watched the young Chief step back. "Surely you are not afraid of me, Brother."

"No, I'm not afraid of you, Dagur." And he wasn't, Hiccup realized.

He used to be, when he was a small, frail, helpless and clumsy kid, but he hadn't been that boy for a long time. So, no, he wasn't afraid to be alone with Dagur, but nor would he simply give into the whims of a madman. But, his father often spoke of compromise.

"Three of my people stay, plus your guards, then we'll talk."

"Do I get to pick who stays?"

Hiccup turned away. "Take him back."

"No!" Dagur cried, immediately, then slumped in his chair as Hiccup turned to face him again.

"Look, Dagur, I've been as understanding as I am willing to be. I know you've been through a lot, and that is the only reason I have treated you well instead of locking you up in the underground cells, but don't mistake my compassion for weakness. I don't care if you're playing games or you're really just crazy, and I don't have the time to find out which. Either answer my questions or you will go to the cells. No more negotiations."

Dagur's piercing green eyes roamed the faces of the table with a mixture of desperation and hunger, like a beast searching for its prey. Hiccup was proud that none of his friends so much as flinched; he knew those eyes were disconcerting when focused on him.

Finally, Dagur sighed. "Fine."

"Eret, Astrid and Snotlout stay." Hiccup decided. "Everyone else, I'll fill you in later."

The men obeyed their chief without question and soon it was just the seven of them.

"The Night Fury needs to go."

"You want to go, Bud?" Hiccup glanced at his dragon, who had was now standing defensively just behind his rider and growling menacingly at the prisoner. When Toothless growled louder, Hiccup shrugged and turned back to Dagur. "Sorry, he wants to stay and really there is no arguing with him."

"What do you wish of me?" Dagur asked.

"Drago Bludvist has taken over your armada and is on his way here to attack Berk."

Dagur picked up a piece of fruit and delicately nibbled it, seemingly undisturbed by the news.

"Can you tell us how to defeat them?" Hiccup leaned his hands on the table and pulled Dagur's attention back to him. "What is their battle strategy? What are their weaknesses?"

Dagur looked around Hiccup and focused on Astrid. "She is lovely, Brother. Do you love her?" he asked.

"The armada, Dagur, focus!"

Dagur stared down at the fruit in his hand, then sighed and put it on his plate. "I dreamed of you, Brother. I dreamed you were surrounded by pain and blue fire." He lifted his eyes to Hiccup's and his eyes fell to the amulet. "She will try to save you. You must let her do this. You cannot interfere or you will fall."

Hiccup straightened and felt fear pierce his heart. Was the Berserker talking about Astrid? She was the only woman he could think of that would be trying to save him. Or, wait, his mother? What was Dagur talking about? He refused to look at his wife, to show he was affected by Dagur's words. Astrid would not be anywhere near the fighting; he would make sure of it.

"The armada, Dagur. How can we defeat them?"

Dagur examined a thick slice of bread. "You can't."

"They must have a weakness. There must be a way."

Dagur started to hum softly to himself.

Frustrated, Snotlout flew at the Berserker, grabbed his throat. "Pay attention you maniac!"

Dagur started to laugh, excitedly which only pissed Snotlout off more.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup pulled his friend away from Dagur, and in that instant, was close enough that Dagur could reach out and grab his face between two impossibly strong hands.

"A beast cannot charge if you cut off its head," Dagur whispered in Hiccup's ear, then kissed his cheek, before Hiccup managed to shove him away and the guards restrained him once more. Dagur licked his lips as Hiccup wiped at his face. "You taste like honey."

This time it was Snotlout who restrained Hiccup. "Get him out of here!" he ordered the guards, who roughly grabbed Dagur up. "Put him in the underground cells."

"No!" Dagur's eyes went wide and pleading as he tried to struggle against the two larger Vikings. "Brother! You promised! You promised!"

Hiccup refused to look at Dagur and closed his ears to the man's pleas. He had tried to be fair and Dagur was using his own compassion against him. He could not show weakness. He nodded to the guards and listened as Dagur was pulled from the hall kicking, screaming and pleading.

He dropped down on the bench and put his hand to his head.

"You okay, Hiccup?" Eret asked quietly.

"Just dandy."

Dagur was useless and Hiccup had no idea what to do next. Was he making any of the right decisions or was he just leading his people to their deaths? He almost sobbed as something cold was placed against his throbbing head and looked up into the beautiful, concerned face of his Right Hand and wife.

"Leave us for a minute, guys?" she requested quietly.

Hiccup felt Eret's hand squeeze his shoulder, then he heard the sound of the large hall door close. Toothless nudged his hand and he caressed his dragon's head. He leaned into Astrid as she settled beside him and gathered him against her, while holding the block of ice against his head.

"Let's run away," he murmured. "You me and Toothless. We'll live in a cave and raise our baby far, far away from all of this."

"Okay." She caressed his hair with her free hand. "It will just take me a moment to pack."

He smirked, wishing they could. "I don't know what to do, Astrid. I don't know how to prevent this...this conflict with Drago. I don't want anyone die."

"We'll figure it out, babe. You need to step away from it for awhile, clear your head."

"There's no time..."

"We'll have to make the time then." She rose and pulled him up. "Toothless, let's go for a ride."

The dragon was beside them instantly. Normally Astrid would also call Stormfly, but right now she Hiccup needed her close, so she would sit behind him and comfort him while they flew. Flying always helped Hiccup to see things clearer.

They flew around the island then headed outwards across the sea. Astrid lay her cheek against Hiccup's back, enjoying the movement of his muscles as he directed Toothless where he wanted the dragon to go. They didn't speak, just flew through the soft coloured clouds of the setting sun, over glistening blue waters where a pod of whales surfaced and tickled them with their emerging spray and careened between massive rock pillars.

Hiccup pushed Toothless faster and faster, as if trying to outrun all the problems and responsibilities he was forced to deal with. The Night Fury seemed to enjoy and agree with his rider's compulsion for speed and deliberately put his all into the flight; diving, climbing, spinning and rolling with a sense of freedom that could not be matched by anything else.

He let himself drift to an easier time, when he and Astrid had first started the Dragon Training Academy. They had faced many dangers then too, unknown dragons, bitter Vikings, horrible storms and unexpected hardships. Which of them had been the most difficult, the most perplexing, he wondered and suddenly an idea started to form in his mind.

When he heard Astrid's startled gasp, felt her arms tighten around him, Hiccup quickly levelled off and slowed. He landed on one of the high cliffs and climbed off, reaching up for Astrid and wrapping her in his arms.

"Oh my Gods!" he cried. He had been so intent on his own need, his own desire to escape for just a short while that he had forgotten the pregnant woman behind him. "I forgot! I forgot! I'm so sorry!" He touched her stomach, worried. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick? Are you..."

She laughed and pulled him in for a kiss to shut him up. "I'm fine, Hiccup."

"I...I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry, Astrid, I shouldn't have been riding Toothless like that with you behind me. I didn't think, I..."

"You needed it and I'm fine." She placed her hand over his, held it to her stomach. "The baby will be born somersaulting, that's all."

"Oh no! Will he really?"

Astrid struggled not to laugh at her husband's look of horror. "He? I thought you wanted a girl?"

He blinked. "What?"

"When I first told you I was with child you said you wanted a girl."

"Yes. Right. I do, absolutely. Or...or a boy. A boy would...as long as it's healthy, Astrid. That's all I..."

Afraid he was going to start hyperventilating again she pulled him back into his arms. "It's okay. Calm down, babe. I'm fine." She pulled back and as the concern slowly melted from his face she saw the flash of excitement in his eyes. "You've got something. A plan?"

He grinned and nodded. "I think so. It isn't much but it could turn things much more in our favour."

"Then what are waiting for?"

He kissed her, squeezed her tight and swung her around. She was right, he had just needed to get away from things for a few moments to clear his head. "Let's go." He lifted her onto Toothless, not because he needed to, but because he wanted to, then climbed on in front of her. "Up, bud, nice and easy back home."


	16. Chapter 16

**_Thank you all again so very much for reviewing and for being so patient. I am so pleased most of you are liking what I have done with Dagur, even if you are confused by the reality of his change. So, as a reward here is one more small chapter with him and Hiccup, and then in the next chapter-the battle begins! I hope you are ready for it, I'm not!_**

But first just a note to one of my wonderful reviewers who always provides me with such powerful insight.

_Tasermon's Partner- Um...I think you are getting confused with my stories._

_1. This story is a sequel to When a Boy Becomes a Man, which doesn't make any mention of Dagur other than as a reference tool. Where Dagur and his fleet are defeated is in a Hooligan Love Story, which is completely separate from this timeline._

_2. Eret stayed behind to give Hiccup his report, so did not fly off with the others, see following sentence from Chapter 14_

_**Eret smirked. "Well, you cannot fault her courage. May I suggest Masin and Lars can accompany Fin in the search?" **_

_3. It isn't that they can't send out a rider to scout Drago, part of gathering information on Drago had been Eret's job, and then he basically went missing. Luckily, Eret has returned and they already know that the fleet is headed towards them and that Drago has a secret dragon, thanks to that information._

_4. Astrid didn't harass Hiccup more about the injury because 1. she understands the pressure he is under and so doesn't want to add to it, and 2. She doesn't want to make a big deal about it around everyone else as Hiccup would consider it a show of weakness. The last time she yelled at him for being hurt was in private so he could save face as Chief._

**_And now...on with the story!_**

* * *

Hiccup deliberately left Toothless outside and entered the underground cells, an axe and gronkle iron shield in his hands. His spotter had reported that the Berk Fleet would be here in less than six hours, and all the preparations he had decided on were in place. He didn't know if any of it would work to keep Berk safe, but in case it didn't, he had some unfinished business to tend to.

Stopping a few feet back from the first cell by the wall he looked past the bars to the shadows beyond. "Dagur."

The figure sitting dejectedly against the wall reared up and slammed forward into the bars. "You bastard! Why did you lock me down here? I was helping you! You let me out! Let me out right now!"

Hiccup simply stared at the prisoner, and noticed there was no trace of madness in those green eyes any longer. "I knew you weren't crazy."

Dagur's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I was helping you. I have only ever tried to help you."

"Will the Berserker Fleet yield if given a chance?"

Dagur glared at him.

"Will they yield, Dagur? If I can avoid killing your people I will, but if I have no choice than I will do what I have to."

"They will not yield, unless you cut off the head."

Hiccup nodded. "You mean kill Drago."

"If he is their leader, yes, but even that may not stop them. My people have been reared on bloodlust, even with their chief gone they may continue to fight." Dagur's fingers wrapped around the bars. "You have no idea what you are up against."

"Then explain it to me."

"They will kill every man, violate and kill every woman and steal every child on Berk to be sold at auction. They will burn your village to the ground so that not even ash remains and they will slaughter your dragons and sell them off in pieces as trophies of the battle."

Hiccup tried not to show the fear that Dagur's words caused inside him. Damn. "I can't let them reach Berk."

"No."

"You realize that by telling me this you are condemning your own people to death?"

Dagur lowered his eyes. "They have not been my people for a long time. They abandoned me, I am nothing to them and I feel nothing for them."

"Did they really break you?" Hiccup demanded, furious that Dagur had wasted all this time by not being straight with him sooner. "Or was it all an act?"

Dagur hesitated and something akin to pain and fear entered his eyes for the briefest of moments. "They tortured me. They treated me as a non-human. How can you even ask me that?"

Hiccup took a step closer, but still not close enough that Dagur could reach him through the bars. "I have to ask, because I have to know. Now is the time, Dagur. Bludvist and his men will be here soon, and I intend to finish this thing between us before they get here."

Dagur's gaze shifted to the axe in Hiccup's hand. "You've come to kill me then?" he demanded. "Haven't you done enough? Wasn't leaving me as Alvin's prisoner enough? Wasn't taking my men away from me, destroying my right to rule them enough?"

"Was trying to kill me and my dragon enough?" Hiccup countered. "Was kidnapping and threatening to kill my father enough? Was releasing a Screaming Death on an unsuspecting islands and consistently putting innocent lives in danger because of your delusional whims enough?"

Dagur held Hiccup's gaze defiantly and then, he slowly released the bars of his cell. "I'm deranged. What more do you want from me?"

"The truth."

"I've told you ..."

"The truth, Dagur. Now, all of it."

Dagur sighed, resigned and leaned against the wall closest to the bars, folded his arms across his chest and dipped his head. "I was broken."

"By Alvin?"

"No. Alvin actually treated me fairly well, not so much the first year or so that I was his prisoner, but he started treating me better afterwards. I don't know why he didn't just kill me, perhaps he got used to seeing my face. He came twice a day to jeer at me, to ridicule me, so maybe he thought he would miss that. Then his visits came more often, but that was because I had tactical knowledge that he wanted, and then..." He shrugged. "Then it became a game between us. He kept me locked up most of the time, just as a show to his men. There were other times when we talked, or strategized, or just played a game of Spin. He...he was my captor but he..."

"Became your friend?"

Dagur's lips tightened. "I wouldn't go that far. I don't have any friends."

Hiccup could see now why Alvin had not confessed that Dagur was still alive. It would have made him appear weak.

"At any rate, I had something else to focus on, besides you and your Night Fury, so I...I almost started to feel like my old self." Dagur's fingers gripped his arms so hard his knuckles turned white. "And then the Dragon Master showed up. I didn't know his name, that was what I was to call him. That was what everyone called him."

"He killed Alvin?"

"I don't know. I just know that one day Alvin no longer came, one day the Dragon Master was just there and it was a day I was locked up."

"Why did he kill the dragons, Dagur? Why slaughter them like that?"

Dagur slowly slid down the wall and placed his head in his hands. "I don't want to talk about that."

Hiccup, sensing that perhaps all the madness had not been just a ruse, moved closer and knelt just outside the cell. "I need to know. Bludvist wanted to use dragons, control them. It makes no sense that he would kill them like that."

"No. No sense." Dagur admitted, laid his head back against the rock wall and staring upwards through glassy eyes. "It was for her. For the witch. She..." His hands covered his face again. "I...I cannot speak of it, Hiccup. I cannot...I need the memory to fade. Please understand. To think on it...I can't."

"It was some sort of ritual then, for the sorceress?"

Dagur nodded. "Dark, dark magic. Ancient..." He shook his head and shivered and his eyes met Hiccup's again. "I have killed dragons, but this...this was...inhuman. This was...beyond..." Again he shivered. "For weeks I had to listen to the beasts shriek, and because I cried for mercy for them, for weeks they saturated me in the remaining blood and bile from..." His eyes became hollow and glazed once again. "I lost my mind. There was no escape from the screams and the fire and the pain and the blood..."

Hiccup felt a surge of dread fill him as his mind flew through the possible consequences of such a sacrifice. He had a very bad feeling about Drago's new dragon.

He watched Dagur look down at his hands and start rubbing them, as if trying to rid himself of some invisible stain. "Dagur."

Dagur continued what he was doing, growing more frantic.

"Dagur!" Hiccup reached through the bars and touched Dagur's arm. "It's over now. You're safe."

Dagur pulled his attention away from his own hands and stared at where Hiccup touched him. He lifted his gaze to the familiar face of the boy he had grown so attached to. "It was you."

Hiccup pulled away startled. Just when he thought Dagur was back to normal he got sucked back in. "What?"

"To keep my sanity, my focus was you. I had no one else. I had no friends, no family that I cared about or that cared about me. My people left me to rot on that island, so I had only my thirst for blood and vengeance, and you." Dagur smirked. "You, a scrawny, awkward Hooligan boy who learned to ride dragons. You, who had defeated me at every turn, were a boy, just a boy, and yet you were unstoppable. I held onto you to keep me sane, brother. I held onto the idea that you would find me, you would put an end to my torment and..." Dagur grew quiet again, pulled into his own living nightmares.

Hiccup blinked in shock, but for once, did not feel the odd sense of awkwardness that usually came from such words. There was something deeper here, something more profound, though he did not quite understand what that was.

Dagur lowered his eyes again. "When they forced me to speak of you, to betray you, that was when I knew. I knew that you were all I had left to live for. You the playmate I most desired, and the only worthy adversary I had ever met. You who hated me, who left me to die..." Dagur released a pitiable chuckle. "How pathetic that you, who became my greatest enemy, were also the brother I had wished for, and the friend I could never have. I knew you would not be as easily defeated as I had been, and so I held onto that, to the idea of your strength. I knew that no matter what the Dragon Master did to me, what he did to those poor creatures, you would stop him. Only you."

"Dagur..." Hiccup wasn't sure what to say. How could Dagur have such confidence in him? They had never been friends, and their battles had hardly been one-sided. He didn't understand it. "Why?" he asked, finally.

Dagur sighed. "Greed, envy, jealousy. Call it what you will. You had everything I wanted, and because I didn't have it, I tried to take it."

"But I..." He thought of all the problems and destruction had caused in previous years because of his obsession for a Night Fury. "You did all that, continued to attack us just because of Toothless?" It made no sense.

"No, the dragon was just something to focus on." Dagur slowly rose and watched Hiccup do the same and step back from the bars. "I was brought up to think I was one of the most powerful Vikings in the North, I had faith in it, knew it in my soul. Then you came along, and blew that ideal out of the water."

"I..." Again, Hiccup was rendered speechless. Had all the battles with Dagur really been because the older Viking was jealous of him?

"Seeing you that first time on the back of that Night Fury, hearing your determination and confidence when you saved him from me and my Armada that first time, it was...You were magnificent. Yes, I wanted to hurt you, kill you even, but Gods, Hiccup! You tamed a Night Fury, the most powerful dragon ever, and you did it without violence or pain."

He shook his head, ruefully.

"And every time I saw you on the back of that creature I was more in awe of your power. I thought if I could get the dragon away that you would lose that power, but you didn't. Hell, you became stronger just trying to get him back. It was...I've never known anyone else capable of that kind of fortitude."

Hiccup finally sighed. What a waste. What an absolute waste of time and energy those years had been. "Dagur, if this is how you felt, why pretend to be a madman?"

"I...do not remember you taking me from Outcast Island, Hiccup. I do not remember my first days here and I am sure that madness hadn't claimed me. Even now it tries to muddle my thoughts, but..." Dagur shrugged. "When my sanity...well, when I started to see things clearer, I thought you would kill me. I thought you would not listen to me, and so..."

"What about the words you said before, about your dream?"

Dagur nodded. "That was true, I did have a dream, I cannot say whether it is accurate or not."

"I see." Hiccup stood quietly for a long moment, then called out to the guard who was standing close by. "Thank you for being honest with me, Dagur." He nodded to the tall Viking to open Dagur's cage. "You've helped me make my decision."

Dagur hesitated only a moment before stepping out, his shackles had been left off because he was in the cell, but he stood calmly and made no move against his captors. "I'm to be put to death then?"

"Death is a future we all must face, but if death is what you wish on this day, you may have it." He held out the axe and shield. "However, the alternative I offer is vengeance."

Dagur's eyes widened in shock.

"War is coming to Berk. I won't leave you in a cage to die. Every Viking, no matter his past, has the right to battle for his life. The Dragon Master is coming, will you bow to him again or will you fight with me against him?"

Dagur stared at the weapons, then held Hiccup's unwavering gaze. Yes, this was what he held onto, the strength of a boy, the strength of a Chief.

He accepted the axe and shield. "I will take my vengeance and stand with you."

Hiccup nodded. "Then there is no time to waste. Come with me."


	17. Chapter 17

_It's here! The battle has officially begun, at least the preparations have been set in motion. Warning: Death of a dragon- (**disclaimer:**no actual dragons were hurt during the writing of this story) ;-)  
_

_This chapter is in sections to give you an idea of multiple things going on at once. I haven't had much experience writing battle chapters, but I got very excited when writing it and I hope you will tell me what you think. This will give you an idea on Hiccup's strategy, and don't worry more coming very, very soon. Special thanks to Incarnate Firefly for all his help, and if you like this chapter and the ones following please feel free to give him a shout out in any reviews! Enjoy!_

* * *

"What is that?" a Viking aboard a Berserker ship demanded pointing to the strange formation in the sky beyond the Armada. "Birds?"

"No," The large man in the dragon skin cloak smirked. "So predictable, boy." He turned to the first mate. "Prepare the nets and hooks. We'll catch their precious dragons easily enough."

"Aye sir." Men scrambled as the signal was given to the rest of the ships, then they paused as a strange fog started to gather around them. "Uh...Lord Bludvist?"

"Ignore it!" Drago growled. "It is just a trick. Prepare the nets."

The fog rolled closer and closer, like a deathly white shadow and making it impossible to see. Several ship hands called for an all stop, worried that their ships would ram into each other. It was deathly quiet on the water, with only the occasional thunk or clink of weapons and creaking of boots. Then the startled cries and screams started.

Drago growled, felt something tug and his fake arm and swatted it away. "What is this?" he demanded and turned to the woman beside him in a long black hooded cloak. "Do something, witch!"

The witch raised pale white hands and a blast of wind and light shot from them, dispelling the fog around their ship enough that Drago could see small dragons flying away or grabbing at the Berserker's weapons. "They're in the fog! Kill them!" he drew his sword and sliced down the two closest to him.

Atop the main pillar rock of Odin's Gate, which resided approximately two hours from Berk by ship, a helmetless and armorless Snotlout wrote the message _'phase one complete'_ and attached it to a Terrible Terror. He sent the airmail dragon off and grinned at the Berserker ships now encased in the heavy fog of the Smothering Smokebreaths. Their nest, conveniently carried to Odin's Gate via Hookfang, sat at the very tip of the pillar, allowing the metal-addicted dragons the perfect place to sniff out any metal coming towards them.

"Let's hope that puts a dent in Drago's weapons at least," he said to Hookfang as he mounted his dragon and flew off to his next post.

* * *

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs ran to where the Chief, and several of his lieutenants stood at the makeshift command center on the cliff above the docks, waving the message from Snotlout. "It's done! The Beserker armada are caught in the fog of the Smothering Smokebreaths!"

Hiccup nodded and turned back to the diagrams on the tables. "Good, that will buy us some time and hopefully deplete some of their resources." He turned to Gobber. "Launch our ships, we have to engage them on the water and keep them from landing on Berk." He knew it was risky attacking with ships only, but he needed the dragons for other things; and besides his people would not go down easily.

"Right O, Chief!" Gobber hurried off.

"Mulch, you and Bucket get up to the cliffs, make sure our archers are ready for any ships that get past our fleet. Make sure they all understand the signal to fire."

"Done and done, Chief." The men ran off.

"Tuff, Ruff, I'll need you and your dragon to man the beach barricades and catapults. If you see anything in the sky that is not a familiar dragon or rider, you shoot it down."

The twins nodded.

"Eret," Hiccup pointed to the opposite side of the island. "In case they try getting around us, you need to protect the south shore. Take Storm fly and lead the other Nadders there. Have them set several rows of spikes from this edge here," he pointed to the line where the island and water met. "Up to about here. If a ship does get through, they won't be able to land as a group and will have to climb through individually."

Eret nodded. "Given me and my men the chance to pick them off."

"Exactly."

"Hiccup." Eret placed his hand on the young Chief's arm. "Are we taking prisoners?"

Hiccup had thought long and hard about that one, about all he knew from his dealing with Drago and what Dagur had told him. About what his father would do in his place and what his conscience screamed at him. If they had prisoners to return, it would be considered a good will gesture and might prevent a future war with the Berserkers, but if they were as bloodthirsty as Dagur claimed, it was safer to kill them.

"Only if they can be immediately and securely confined without taking you from the battle."

"Understood." Eret squeezed Hiccup's arm. "Be careful, hey? I really don't want to face that wife of yours if you do something stupid, like getting yourself killed."

"Yeah, me either." Hiccup smirked then reached for Eret's hand as his friend turned away. "Hey, same goes."

Eret nodded, jumped on the back of Stormfly and flew off, just as Astrid approached.

"Tell me again why he gets to fly my dragon?"

"Because Stormfly likes him and the other Nadders listen to her."

"I could have..." Astrid clapped her mouth shut when he shot her a warning glance. Yeah, yeah, they'd already had that discussion. "Fine. Everyone is in the catacombs under the hall, as instructed, _Chief_."

He looked at her. "Not _everyone_."

She scowled and folded her arms across her chest. "The fighting hasn't started yet. I'm staying with you until it does, so don't even try to argue with me, Hiccup!"

"Perish the thought," he muttered and thought he heard one of the men around him snicker. "Fine then, make yourself useful and go check on Gothi for me."

"Really? That's making myself useful?"

"I need to make sure she's okay, Astrid, and if she is awake I need to know whatever she might have to tell me. I can't get over to her right now, so yes it is useful and very important."

Astrid was immediately repentant. "Um...but I don't have my dragon."

"Take Toothless."

Both Astrid and Toothless looked at him in shock.

"Toothless needs to stay with you, Hiccup!" Astrid insisted as the dragon let out a series of protesting growls that probably said exactly the same thing.

"It's only for a short while, nothing is going on here that I need him for." He looked behind him to the annoyed Night Fury. "You're the only one I can trust to take care of her, boy. Do this for me, okay?"

Reluctantly, Toothless ascended and moved so that Astrid could climb aboard him.

"Hiccup..." She began again, reluctant to leave him as much as his dragon was.

"The sooner you go the sooner you can come back."

With a sigh she urged Toothless up. Hiccup watched them for only a few brief seconds before he returned to his task and continued to give out orders.

* * *

Dagur stood at the docks and watched the ships of Berk flow past him across the sea. He'd had the option to go with them, to meet the fleet head on, but he stayed for two reasons. One, no one on those ships trusted him and he'd been threatened with death multiple times already if anything happened to Hiccup that involved him. Second, he had a powerful feeling that he needed to stay close to the Chief of Berk. He couldn't say why only that he needed to stay here on land, for now.

Hiccup was doing an amazing job so far, and while he had not been included in the Vikings he saw standing around the Chief just above him, he could tell by the way his people were responding that they all had complete faith in him.

Dagur had not been privy to the instructions of the battle, he had no idea how Hiccup planned to get through all of this. He'd just been given an axe and a shield and told he could fight. It was smart, really, not to tell him the plan. After all, if, for whatever he decided to betray Berk, he would have no information to give to his people anyway and so would not be a detriment. No, Hiccup may be forgiving but he was far from stupid.

Dagur glanced over his shoulder at the large statue of Stoick and wondered if Hiccup realized how much he had surpassed his father in cunning and guile. Probably not. Hiccup was ridiculously modest, something Dagur just couldn't comprehend himself. Still, as long as he had a chance at Drago he would happily face the gates of Valhalla.

It would be dark soon, but Viking were used to fighting in all conditions, himself included. He could feel the bloodlust rising inside of him as he thought about the first man who would taste the power of his axe. He wanted it to begin, now. He wanted to fight.

"Dagur."

He turned and looked at a fresh-faced young man holding a mace.

"If you betray our Chief..."

"Yes, yes, you'll kill me. Now run along, kid, you're messing with my zen thing here."

"I'm not a kid! I'm sixteen, and I will kill you if you betray any of us. Got that!"

"Whatever." Dagur turned back to the sea.

"You no good..."

The mace swung outwards and Dagur pivoted, without actually turning his gaze from the water so that the weapon impacted his shield with a jarring sound. He sighed shoved the shield forewords, knocking the kid off balance.

"Here now!" Gobber said as he walked up and grabbed the furious young Viking by the collar before he could scramble to his feet and attack Dagur again. "Gustov, you're not supposed to be down here, now get back to the forge."

"But I..."

"Do as I tell you or I'll feed ye to Grump! Go on now!"

The boy trudged off and Dagur smirked at Gobber.

"You here to threaten me too?"

"Nope."

Dagur blinked, surprised. "Really?"

"Don't see the point in it. You don't have to worry about any of us, you only have to worry about that young fella up there." Gobber pointed to where Hiccup stood on the cliff face above them, still giving out instructions. "You do anything that gets any of his people hurt or killed, he'll make you wish you were never born."

Dagur watched the blacksmith limp off and then turned his gaze back to Hiccup. Funny, Gobber's was the only threat he took seriously.

* * *

Drago pierced another Smokebreath with his sword and watched its brethren flee the remaining ships. As the fog dissipated, tiny dead dragons could be seen littering the decks. "Throw them over the side," he demanded in disgust and moved to the Captain's post. "How much further to Berk?"

"At least another hour, sir."

They had to move faster. It was obvious that Hiccup intended to use dragons to attack them from the sky before reaching Berk, but he had a plan for that. However, his intention was to land on Berk, to make the island and the people hiss and thoroughly defeat the son of Stoick the Vast. And once Hiccup Haddock was humiliated, aggrieved and in pain, he would kill him, slowly with the greatest of joy, as his own people watched.

"Find a way to make it sooner or I'll throw you over the side," he warned the captain. "And find out how many damn weapons we lost because of those things."

"Aye, sir."

Drago turned his gaze forward again. Well, Hiccup, it was a nice try, but I have a thousand ships with me, and only half of them are coming in from this side. You can't possibly hope to defeat us. He moved to the hooded figure, she made his skin crawl, but he needed her.

"Witch, come and read the bones for me."

She nodded and followed him below to his cabin. She pulled out her bones and square pallet then rolled them in her hands and tossed them and studied them, her hidden face revealing nothing but a hard, thin red smile.

"My victory is still assured, then?" Drago demanded.

She nodded and bowed lightly to him.

He laughed. "Even the fates are on my side! Good. Stay here until I call for you." He turned in a swirl of his cloak and returned upstairs.

The woman turned to the squirming figure in the corner of the cabin, who was hogtied and gagged beneath the bag that trapped their head. The prisoner could still breathe, though not easily, and it prevented them from seeing anything or anyone in the cabin.

The woman moved to the prisoner, crouched down and ran her fingers across the turquoise form fitting outfit and overlapping brown armor. A matching tusked helmet with six horns lay on a shelf above the prisoner's head. "Ssssh, now. It'll all be over soon," the witch said, and then curled her hand into a fist and hit the figure across the jaw, knocking them unconscious.


	18. Chapter 18

_Hey everyone, I am glad you are all so excited to read this chapter, but I must warn you. I have never really written battles before, so this may not be up to your expectations. There will probably be things you find don't mesh or are highly improbable in a battle scenario, or things happening that are out of character for our heros, but please do not be too critical of those aspects. I did the best I could with what I knew._

* * *

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup and Astrid glanced up as three dragons dropped from the sky. Fin Hofferson hopped off the first one. "I...I am sorry. We could not find Valka anywhere, nor any sign of Cloud Jumper."

Pain pierced Hiccup's chest but he had to swallow it down, he couldn't be distracted, not now with the battle almost upon them. "I'm sure you did your best, Fin. Thank you."

Fin's face was a mirror of Hiccup's agony. "What can we do here?"

Hiccup gave them an assignment, turned continued walking towards the main hall, Astrid and Toothless behind him. He wanted to hit something, he wanted to kill something! He wanted to climb onto Toothless and go search for his mother, but he had no time to indulge himself. There was just no time.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked, worried.

"I'm fine." He stopped at the door of the hall, leaned down and kissed her. "Get inside. I'll see you later."

Astrid didn't want to leave him, she had this horrible feeling she might never see him again. "Let me come with you. I can help." She clung to him. "You need me."

"Astrid..."

"I know you're worried about the baby, but we women have been having them for a long time and my own mother fought when she was six months pregnant with me. Please Hiccup. I am your wife, but I'm also your Right Hand. Let me do my job. You can't be everywhere and wouldn't it help to know that I'm out there doing what you can't be there to do?"

He stared at her and tears filled his eyes. He wanted to protect her, to protect their child, wanted to protect his mother and now she was missing, wanted to protect Gothi and she was still in unconscious. He couldn't do it all. He did need her. Thor help him, he did. She was really the only one he could fully count on to handle things if his strategies failed.

"Odin save me!" He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "I love you, so much, Astrid. If you get hurt I swear I will never, ever forgive you."

She clung to him. "Same goes, babe."

He pulled back and climbed onto Toothless before giving her a hand up. "I'll be leading the first volley, Snotlout has the second wave. If they get through, it will be up to you, the twins and Eret. to keep them off of Berk."

She nodded as they dropped down to the beach area where the twins and fire traps were set. He waited for her to slide off, then caught her hand, leaned down and kissed her thoroughly. "Please, be careful."

"I will," she promised then smiled. "Go get 'em babe!"

Hiccup lifted off and gave the signal to the first wave or riders, before swooping down and having Toothless grab Dagur from the docks.

"What the..." Dagur began and was suddenly tossed up into the air, before landing hard on the Night Fury's back, directly behind Hiccup. "Uh...well, this is cozy but what _are_ you doing?"

"Getting you your vengeance," Hiccup stated.

Dagur grinned slowly and glanced back at the other dragons and riders following in a V formation. Damn Hiccup, what a mind you have.

They flew hard and fast over the waves, until they saw the familiar ships of their own fleet, now anchored in the water in a straight light across the narrows. Hiccup raised his hand, fingers pointed skyward, then closed it into a fist. Immediately the riders behind him dove towards the ships and had their dragons pluck armed Vikings from the decks and flew up into the clouds; leaving just under half of their compliment behind to man the barricade as the dragons continued their flight.

As they neared the Beserker Armada, Hiccup pulled out his Inferno sword and hit the end to release the gas, leaving a trail behind him. A moment later, four Zipplebacks dipped down from the clouds, soared towards the ships and released the same noxious green cloud, creating an effective smoke screen for the riders to drop the Berkian Vikings onto the unsuspecting ships.

Almost immediately the clang of weapons and shouts of attacks could be heard and Hiccup lit the flame of his sword, two Monstrous Nightmares and three Hobblegrunts attacked the ships their people weren't on.

Several nets, bolos and arrows were cast at attacking dragons, but they were easily avoided and Hiccup, sped through the ships, weaving, spinning and diving around the massive fleet, trying to avoid the weapons coming towards him and Toothless and searching for Drago. He had waited for Dagur to jump off at some point and join the fray, had certainly flown low enough at times that he could have, but the Beserker seemed content to stay behind him.

"I brought you out here to fight, Dagur."

"The lead ship always carries the Chief or Captain," Drago said. "It is a sure bet our quarry will be there as well."

Hiccup had suspected that and had deliberately avoided putting his men on that ship, because it could be the one that Drago might be on, and since the Dragon Master wasn't making his presence known, he would have to take a chance that Dagur and his suspicious were right.

"It will be a trap."

"Of course."

"I don't have any other men on that ship."

"Yet you intend to land there."

Hiccup wasn't the least surprised that Dagur had guessed his plan. "You'd have a better chance of survival on another ship."

"You'd have a better chance of survival if I was with you." Dagur retorted. "And you promised me vengeance, Hiccup."

That did surprise Hiccup. "Vengeance, yes, but I don't expect you to protect me, Dagur."

"Then we will take our vengeance together. Leave the captain and others to me, you handle Drago."

Hiccup didn't have any more time to argue, so he dove. They landed and Dagur immediately jumped off to attack the two men running at them. Hiccup bent backwards as an axe came flying at him, then rolled off Toothless and jumped into the fray.

"Save your shots!" Hiccup warned his dragon, as he pulled out a real sword, dodged an attack, dipped low then bolted up again to toss an attacker over his shoulder. Gods! They were everywhere, and still he didn't see Drago. Had he guessed wrong? Could Drago be on another ship? It wasn't like him to hide.

Toothless could easily handle the Vikings without using his plasma blasts, but he stayed close to Hiccup as they battled their way through. An attempt to net the dragon only resulted in burned ropes as Hiccup lit the contraption on fire with Inferno before it could touch his dragon, leaving him with a real sword and a fire sword in each hand.

The trio managed to battle through quite a few Beserkers, Dagur was especially vicious and unforgiving and seemed to slice his way through them like a knife through butter. Hiccup held his own, with Toothless' help, but finally they found themselves surrounded with Hiccup backed up to Dagur and Toothless trying to protect them from the sides.

"Weren't you supposed to go get the captain?" Hiccup sighed, wearily as he held both his swords defensively against the crowd around them,

"Bastard's hiding," Dagur grinned and bared his teeth at his former comrades, delighted that so many of them took a hasty step back before being pushed forward again by the men behind them. Many had been so shocked at seeing him alive that they had let their guard down quickly and were easily dispatched. Now, he could see anger but also fear in the ones that surrounded them.

"They don't seem to like you much Dagur," Hiccup said.

"Well, I am deranged, and supposedly dead. What can you expect?"

"Ah, the Great Trainer of Dragons!"

A few Vikings parted as Drago stepped inside the circle.

"This is disappointing, I expected much more from you than for you to just drop into my lap." Drago's eyes landed on Dagur and his eyebrow lifted in surprise. "And you brought a friend. How nice you didn't want to die alone."

"End this, Drago," Hiccup demanded and saw the flicker of fear haunt Dagur's expression. He deliberately stepped in front of the Beserker, which caused Toothless to try and shield him from Drago. "You're fight is with me, not my people."

"You think so?" Drago sneered. "Very well, let us end it, you and I, a battle to the death."

"Call off your men and ships and I will follow you to a place of your choosing. We will end it there."

Drago pretended to consider the suggestion. "How about you fight me here, now, aboard this ship, and I give you my word that I will leave Berk untouched, regardless of the outcome."

Hiccup studied him. "You're lying."

"Well, well, well." Drago smiled again. "So, the impulsive, naive child has finally learned?"

"Call off the armada. There has been enough bloodshed."

"You really are in no position to negotiate, boy."

"I'm still standing, that gives me plenty of position."

"I will kill you and claim Berk as my own. There is nothing you can do to change that."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed. "My death will not gain you Berk, Drago. They will fight to the end."

"So be it." Drago smiled easily. "You can watch your people die first then."

He nodded to someone behind them, and turning Hiccup and Dagur watched a robed figure lift pale white hands and create a spark of red flame. She cast the flame towards the large tarp in the center of the deck and slowly it started to move.

A hideous sound vibrated from beneath the cloth as it rose higher and higher from the deck of the ship, causing the men near it to flee in terror.

Toothless whimpered and shook his head as if in pain and Hiccup's eyes grew wide with terror. He couldn't have! Drago couldn't be that mad!

"Tell them to fall back, Toothless" He cried but the Night Fury was still trying to rid himself of the pain in his head caused by that horrific piercing sound. "Tell the dragons to grab our men and fall back!"

Finally Toothless managed the call, but it was already too late as the other dragons were also affected by the piercing cry and were flailing about haphazardly, endangering their riders and themselves.

"No!" Hiccup turned, intending to charge at the witch, but he was tossed back by some unseen force and landed against Dagur.

"Now you will see why I truly am a master of dragons," Drago snarled.

Hiccup stared helplessly as the tarp fell away and an abomination rose into the air. "NO!"

A three-headed demon, two with a wide rounded vortex of razor sharp teeth, and one, the largest head sat dead center, with six eyes on either side of a long armoured head that sported a ridge of spikes across the top and a single excruciatingly edged horn on its snout. Horrifically familiar wide ridged wings spread out from its long tail like body and flamed.

Drago had somehow crossed a Whispering Death, with a Monstrous Nightmare and a Red Death dragon. Hiccup watched helplessly as the beast rose and spewed a cloud of red flame towards his people, watched as several of them that weren't burned by the flames spewing from the dragon's mouth spiraled towards the sea as their dragons reacted to the sounds of the whispering deaths and that of a Queen Dragon.

No. NO! He had to get it away from his people, he had to distract it somehow. He immediately tried to mount Toothless, but both his swords were knocked from his hands and he found himself flat on his back with Drago's boot against his chest.

Really? Did you think I would just let you take your dragon and go?"

Hiccup looked at Toothless and spoke one word. "_Frjlas_."

The dragon batted away the Vikings around him and jumped into the air, startling everyone, especially Drago.

"What!" he roared as he saw the Night Fury streak upwards and blast at the demon-dragon. He glared down at Hiccup who simply sneered up at him. "Your dragon cannot not fly on his own?"

"Yeah, well, he got a new tail for Snoggletog one year," Hiccup retorted. "Thought I'd let him try it out."

Actually, the tail that he had originally built for Toothless had been destroyed, by Toothless, because the dragon wanted to fly with his rider, but given the situation they were in, Hiccup had decided that he and Toothless might need to fight separately and so had created a similar tail for the occasion, painting it red so no one could tell it was a different tail.

"It does not matter, he is no match for my dragon." Drago insisted as he watched the Night Fury dive in and around the huge beast he had created, as if taunting him. Finally, the Demon Dragon started to turn and fly towards Toothless, away from the riders and away from the ships. "Not...not possible!" He looked at the witch. "Do something!"

"Did you know, Night Fury's and Whispering Deaths are natural enemies?" Hiccup offered still trying to get Drago's boot off his chest. "Yeah, they really hate each other."

His greatest creation was getting further and further away from them and he stepped over Hiccup to grab the witch's arm. "Turn it back or I will gut you where you stand, witch!"

The witch's flames grew in her hands once more as she tried to use her power to direct the Demon Dragon back to the fight. Everyone else was distracted by the battling dragons, and so Hiccup grabbed Dagur's hand and ran for the edge of the ship. They were in the water seconds later, even as Drago roared for someone to stop them.

"This was your plan?" Dagur gasped when he surfaced then dove under again as a bevy of arrows were injected into the waved around him.

Hiccup surfaced further away from the boat and used his Night Fury call. Toothless sped towards him instantly, dove into the sea and surfaced with Hiccup on his back.

He didn't hear his men, both below and those still in the air cheer as he raced towards the demon dragon again. "Blast it, Toothless."

Toothless aimed a plasma blast at the beast and two of the heads focused on the Night Fury once again turning towards them. The Witch below waved her hands and it turned back to attack the riders above, so Hiccup dared it by zooming past the dragon right under its nose.

"Come on," Hiccup muttered, trying to push down his own fear. "Come get us."

Again the witch managed to pull the beast's attention back to where she wanted it to go, and all the while he could hear Drago's laughter.

"Odin curse you!" Hiccup flew in front of the Demon Dragon, trying to keep its attention focused on him and allow his people to retreat. "At us, you bastard! Attack us!"

"This dragon will not heed you, boy!" Drago called to him. "He is under my control."

No, this abomination was under the witch's control and Hiccup had to break it. There was no way he could bond with this...this thing, so he had to goad it, anger it. Still, he had it focused on him for the moment, and he could see his riders trying to regain the use of their dragons and they had started to grab some of their men off the ships.

The dragon was spewing flame at him again, Toothless rolled and dove into the sea, soaking them both, then up again to avoid the flames, and still they taunted the beast. Hiccup flew over and around the dragon again, and despite its slimmer body, its movements were sluggish as the original queen had been, so Hiccup could easily outmaneuver it.

"Enough of this," Drago growled to the witch. "Kill him."

She nodded and turned her attention to Hiccup. A spout of green violet light appeared in her palm and with a wave of her hand it headed straight for Hiccup, who was too busy with the dragon to see it coming.

"Watch out!" Dagur cried, having been plucked out of the sea by one of the riders.

Hiccup turned his head just as the ball of light hit him square in the chest and he was flung backwards off of Toothless. He didn't hear the fearful cry of his dragon, or the sound of Drago's laughter, he knew only blinding light as his body exploded with pain and he spun towards the sea.

In a small cabin below decks the decks of a Beserker ship, Valka had sliced through the binds of her feet with a knife she had appropriated and rose, just as a horrific scream pierced the air.

"Hiccup!" she sobbed.

* * *

**_Sorry to leave it on a Cliff Hanger everyone, but it as the only place I could find to cut it off for a chapter without making it ridiculously long!_**

**_Frjlas is the Viking/Norse word for Freedom._**


	19. Chapter 19

**_Glad everyone seems to like the way the battle is going so far...Things are just getting started._**

_**WARNING: Character Death in this chapter. Tissues may be required. (I went through half a box just writing it) Please don't hate me.** _

* * *

In a small hut on one of the highest points on Berk overlooking the sea from one side and the village the next an elderly woman lay sleeping, while a much younger man bathed her fevered brow. In the gentle silence, a scream pierced the air, causing Djor to jump up, startled, and then stumble back fearfully as a blue-white light invaded the room and settled over the sleeping form.

Gothi awoke, her eyes the same color as the light that surrounded her. She sat up, turned to the side and rose.

"G...Gothi?" Djor asked, frightened as his teacher moved past him, unseeing, to the door that led to her back deck. She stood by the rail, lifted her arms and strange words came from her mouth. in a language that Djor had never heard before.

Winds whipped around her tiny frail form, harsh enough that he had to hold onto the door way or risk be swept over the side and out to sea, but Gothi did not move, she stood strong and defiant as she continued her chant.

* * *

Toothless raced to catch his rider, but the blast had ripped Hiccup's young body from the Night Fury with such ferocity it had hurled the Chief several meters away, so that even with the speed of a Night Fury it was impossible to know if the dragon would be able to catch his friend before Hiccup hit the water.

A voice carried across the air, a serene, musical voice from a land unknown, and everyone, even the Vikings on both sides of the battle stopped fighting to see where it was coming from.

"What is that?' Drago demanded. "Where is it coming from?" He looked at the witch who had stumbled back and actually seemed, frightened. "What is that?"

Toothless cried out as a small blue light appeared over Hiccup's chest and then spread through his entire body, encapsulating him in a glowing blue bubble that hovered an inch above the waves before rising slowly into the air.

Everyone gasped as the young Chief of Berk, still seemingly unconscious, spread his arms wide as he rose higher into the sky. Toothless tried to get near Hiccup, but was repulsed by the strange energy surrounding his rider.

Hiccup's eyes opened and they were no longer the lovely emerald green of his father's, but now the same shade of blue that shone through his amulet and glowed around him. He lifted his hand and a sword appeared, a heavenly sword of hard steel and glowing blue fire, and his fingers curled around it. All of the glowing energy was now directed into the sword including the glow of the medallion around his neck.

Toothless, sensing his chance, immediately flew under Hiccup when the young man started to fall again, and caught his rider neatly on his back.

_**Kill the beast, child.**_

"Gothi," Hiccup whispered. "No."

"What is that?" Drago screamed at the witch who seemed unable to do anything but look on in horror. He slapped her back and turned to his archers. "Shoot him down!"

_**You must do this.**_

"You'll die." Hiccup didn't know how he knew that, but he could somehow sense that this magic was Gothi's life force. "I won't."

Suddenly Dagur's warning came to him.

_She will try to save you. You must let her do this. You cannot interfere or you will fall_.

And then he remembered Gothi's words as well.

_A mistress of magic will put one to test_

A test. A test for him, to do what he must, to protect his own. Oh, Gods! He couldn't do this, not at the sake of her life!

"Gothi, please..." Tears formed in Hiccup's eyes, even as he felt her power surge through him.

_**You are ready, you are the Chief.**_

The dragon had turned its attention to his men again, burning them, hurting them. There was no other way to stop it. No other way.

"Damn you!" Hiccup screamed and urged Toothless towards the beast and then over it.

They avoided the arrows flying at them and as they soared over the Demon Dragon, Hiccup leapt off his dragon landed on the beast's back and imbedded the blue sword deep into its spine. Two screams pierced the air, one from the three headed dragon and one from the witch who collapsed on the boat below them.

Hiccup gripped the handle of the sword and charged forward with a strength he would not normally possess all the way to the crown, carving the beast in two, before ripping the sword out and jumping into the air to land back on Toothless.

The Demon Dragon howled and screamed as it fell, gushing blood, and wind and flame all the way into the sea and a cheer from the Berkians rose in the air.

Hiccup however did not hear them, his blue sword slowly faded, as did he light of his amulet and he passed out atop his Night Fury.

"Fall back!" one of the dragon riders called and immediately the remaining dragons dipped low to nab what men they could from the ships, before flying across the waves.

"After them, damn it!" Drago insisted. "Fire everything!" he hauled the witch to her feet. "Stop Hiccup or I throw you over the side."

"Sir! We're taking on water!"

"What!"

"The boat is sinking sir!" another cried out.

"Abandon ship!"

Vikings ran for their lives jumping overboard at will and swimming towards their remaining ships.

"Stay and fight you cowards!" Drago screamed, tossing the injured witch aside, and then he saw the reason for their dilemma. A glimpse of turquoise and brown at the bow of his ship saluted him before diving off the boat.

The woman! That damn woman that had caused him so much trouble before. She had been tied up! How had she escaped?

He grabbed a cross bow from one of the men running away and thundered forward intending to shoot her in the water, but before he could make it to the end, a flurry of wind knocked him back as a huge red and gold dragon appeared before him and roared flames at him.

Drago dove out of the way as Cloud Jumper plucked his mistress from the water and flew high into the air.

Valka climbed up her dragon and stood tall on its back as she glared down at her enemy, floundering on a sinking ship. "Enjoy your swim!" she taunted with a low bow as they flew away.

The Vikings that had been picked up from the Beserker ships and were uninjured, were dropped back on the Berkian ships to maintain a barrier across the water to protect Berk. The riders flew those that were hurt back to the island, with Toothless in the lead. Hiccup had regained consciousness just as Berk was in sight, and he ordered his men to continue on as he veered off towards Gothi's hut.

His heart dropped as he spotted Djor on his knees cradling his mentor, and Hiccup was off of Toothless before the dragon fully landed, and sliding to his knees before them.

"Is she...?" he began and Djor lowered his head sadly. "I'm sorry. Gods, I didn't want this." He brushed his fingers over Gothi's grey hair and was startled when the old woman opened her eyes. "Gothi!"

She looked up at him, smiled as if to say, she wasn't dead yet, then reached up to take his wrapped hand. Her eyes seemed to explain to him what she wanted, and he pulled off the bandage from both of their hands, then curled his fingers around hers, pressing their palms together.

"Why? Why did you do this? Why didn't you tell me..."

"I...am...old," she whispered in a voice that was obviously not used to talking. "You...are not."

"You can't die, Gothi. We need you..."

"Stretched am...I," she sighed and pulled their joined hands to her mouth so she could kiss the back of his hand. "Good...life..."

"How is she talking?" Djor wondered even, shaking his head.

"Magic," she whispered. "Through...magic." Her eyes wandered to her apprentice. "All is yours now. You...will do well."

"But...I have so much more to learn. Please, Gothi, there must be something we can do. Something..."

"Fetch... my green chest, child."

Djor nodded and hurried inside as Gothi turned back to Hiccup.

She watched a tear slide down his cheek and lifted her free hand to catch it. "Tears...of love...powerful...magic." She put that same hand to his heart. "Your magic...greater than...any I have. Any she...has. Magic of...love, Hiccup."

"Stay with me, Gothi," he pleaded. "Don't let yourself be another of Drago's victims. Please, stay with me."

"I would give you...anything...my dearest boy..." Her breath hitched. "I...cannot give you this."

Djor returned with the chest and Gothi weakly instructed him to give it to Hiccup.

"This...is yours. Remember...me."

Hiccup held back the sob that rose inside of him, resigned to the fact that he could not save her, that she did not want to be saved. "Tell me why, Gothi?" he whispered and caressed her hair away from her brow. "Why did you allow such a sacrifice?"

"For love...of course." She cradled his cheek. "I...will tell your...father...what a fine...strong...son he has."

Hiccup held her gaze, even as he saw the shadow of death crawling into them, fogging their brightness. "Tell him I love him, Gothi, and that I miss him."

"He knows...child." She tensed for a second, and her eyes focused on something over Hiccup's shoulder for a moment, before turning back to his again. She smiled. "Hiccup...Will you kiss... an old woman... goodnight?"

His lips trembled as he bent down and gently pressed his lips to hers. "Good night, my lady," he whispered, knowing she was already gone.

He was startled when his amulet broke in half and dropped to the floor, and he stared at it for a long moment, before turning back to the dear woman in his arms.

Hiccup glanced at Toothless who had bowed his head and was keening softly at the loss, then he kissed the hand he held, gently crossed them over Gothi's chest and rose. "Place her in the ice house until this war is won," he advised Djor quietly. "We will build her a proper ship to sail to Valhalla in when the bloodshed is done."

"What if we do not win the war?" Djor asked looking up at him with tear filled eyes.

Hiccup assured grimly as he picked up the chest, and in that moment noticed the cut on his hand that Gothi had made was completely. His bad wrist and ribs also seemed to have healed completely. Her last gift to him, he wondered? Why had no one known the power she held before now? Why had they not shown her the proper respects for such gifts?

"We will," he said to Djor and climbed onto Toothless. "We have to."

Djor watched his chief fly away, then lowered his head to Gothi's chest and wept.

Hiccup flew over Berk, instead of sadness and grief he found himself filled with purpose and determination. All of the soreness that had remained in his body from his past injuries were gone. The exhaustion, the stress, teh doubt and the fear all seemed less now and he knew that Gothi's magic was the cause.

"Thank you, Gothi," he whispered a quiet prayer to her, then dropped the chest off at his house before setting down by the beach, where Astrid and the other riders were gathered.

"Hiccup!" she cried and moved to embrace him, but he slid off of Toothless and put his hand out to stop her.

He needed to stay focused and if he fell into her arms right now he still might lose what renewed strength he had gathered. It was too easy to let her comfort him, he couldn't afford that now.

"Have you checked with Eret? Is there any sign of the rest of the fleet?" He suspected the ships they had seen were not all of what Drago had brought with them.

Astrid wasn't hurt by his abruptness, she understood they were in a battle, not having tea. She had simply forgotten for a moment upon seeing her husband safe and sound. "Yes, so far they have seen nothing. Should we pull them back here?"

"No, in fact I want another twenty men, if we can spare them, over to that side of the island as soon as possible."

Astrid nodded and moved away to give the order as Gobber stepped up.

"How bad was it?" he asked quietly.

"Bad enough. Send a message to Snotlout, tell him to be ready with the second wave. I don't know how many of their ships or men we managed to damage, but they had plenty to spare."

"Aye."

"And Gobber?"

The blacksmith turned back.

"Find out how many people we lost."

Gobber nodded and walked off.

"Chief!"

Hiccup turned as Fin hurried towards him. "The injured are being set up in the great hall and the women there are tending to them..."

"They should stay in the catacombs with the children..." The only women in the caves were the expectant mothers or mothers who had very young children. The rest were out fighting alongside the men.

"This is their fight too, Chief, and they wanted to do something. The kids are still down below and the pregnant lasses."

Hiccup nodded and then spotted a familiar blur streak across the sky. His heart leapt into his throat and he started running. "Mom!"

Cloud Jumper set down and Valka jumped off just as Hiccup reached her, she threw her arms around her son.

"I'm sorry!" she whispered, felt him trembling against her. "I was wrong to leave, son. I thought I could help."

"I don't care," he murmured and held her tight as a small piece of his heart slid back into place, along with a firmer resolution to win. "As long as you're here. As long as you're okay."

"I am." She pulled back, kissed both of his cheeks and cradled his face, then frowned. She could see the toll this battle had already taken on him and the innate sadness in his eyes. "What is it, Hiccup?"

"Gothi's gone, Mom. She...she used her magic to save me, to save us...but it cost her...her life."

"Oh, sweetheart." She pulled him against her again. "I'm so sorry to have left you alone with all of this. I'm a fool."

"Yes, you are." He pulled back and met her gaze. "I needed you here, Mom. I'm glad you're back, but...where the hell were you? We sent out search parties and..."

"Lady Valka!"  
Mother and son turned to see Astrid's uncle running towards them, his face flushed, his eyes wide. He stopped just before he reached them. "You're alive!"

She nodded. "I appear to be."

"I...we...were worried." Fin glanced at Hiccup and actually flushed. "F...forgive me, Chief. I'll go and tend to the injured."

"Sure." Hiccup nodded, then turned back to his mother and saw her face was also rather pink. Oh really? He bit his lip to keep from smiling.

"So...where were you all this time?"

"I was on Drago's ship," she said. "I let myself get captured."

"_Why_ would you do that?" he demanded, aghast.

"I had my reasons," she assured. "But, I was glad I got to see some of your battle anyway."

So she had been there? He hadn't thought to look for her on the ship. Why hadn't he thought to look for her? How much had she seen? How long had she been prisoner?

"How...where...What about Cloud Jumper? I didn't see..."

"Cloud Jumper had strict instructions not to come out until I called, Hiccup. I am sorry, I know he probably could have helped you, but he only listens to me and I didn't realize you would be attacking the fleet over water."

"Well...I...I guess, the important thing is that you're okay." He paused. "How did you escape?"

"I told you I could take care of myself, son. And not only did I escape, but I also left Drago a nice going away present. In fact, he should be swimming to Berk just about now."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "You sank his ship?"

"I did!"

"You know he'll just get picked up by one of the others."

She nodded. "Maybe, but funny thing about Drago, apparently he thinks just because you're a prisoner you lose the ability to hear." She smiled, darkly. "He's either arrogant or really stupid, because now I know what he's planning and everything he has set in place to counter your attacks."

Hiccup grinned. "Everything?"

"Every tiny detail."

"Come on, I need to call the council and you need to fill me in."

They headed back the way Hiccup had come as Toothless dropped down and Astrid slid off, almost immediately the Night Fury bounded over to Valka and coiled around her and Cloud Jumper happily.

"Mom is back, Astrid," Hiccup said, stating the obvious. "Isn't that a relief?"

Astrid stared at her mother in law, less than forgiving than her husband was. "Yeah." She stared at Valka hard enough to make the woman flinch, then turned to Hiccup. "Eret's spotters have seen some ships headed towards the south side of the island, flying the Beserker flag."

"Okay, come on, let's get everyone we can gathered. Mom has some information on Drago's plans and we're running out of time. We need all the help we can get."

Astrid nodded.

* * *

**_This is just the end of the first battle. More to come!  
_**


	20. Chapter 20

_I apologize for the delay in updating everyone, but my computer died a few weeks ago, so I had to wait before I could afford a new one, and I also lost a lot of the stories I had saved so had to go back onto FF to reread what I had written and then try to again write new scenes. My own fault for not saving it properly I suppose, but I hadn't expected my computer to die._

_Anyway, please bear with me as I am trying to get caught up on all my writing. Many, many thanks to Incarnate firefly who helped me create an outline for this and the following battle chapters, because I was having to start from scratch and who gave me such great specifics on the dragons and their uses. If you like this chapter and are kind enough to review, please include him in your thanks!_

_I will try and update with another chapter as soon as I can so thank you for your patience and hopefully this long chapter will make up for the wait. _

* * *

Hiccup flew through the skies towards the sound of battle. The Berkian ships and Snotlout's second wave had already engaged the enemy, but now, thanks to Valka, they had new information. Arrows, spears and fire blasts from dragons exploded around him so much that he needed to fully concentrate on Toothless' manoeuvres in order to avoid getting injured or killed.

The majority of the Berserker armada had been bottle-necked just a few miles out from Berk's inlet shore by the Hooligan fleet. Some ships had been physically rammed, others had been overrun by both Berserkers and Hooligans passing between ships in an attempt to kill each other, one group attempting to clear the way for their fleet, the other intent on stopping it. Fishlegs would called for a team of Gronkles to lava bomb some of the fore running Berserker ships to create more of a barrier in the water, then Snotlout seated on Hookfang would set fire to the wrecks, creating an impenetrable barrier.

Each sound of metal clanging on metal, each zing of an arrow being released and every single battle cry or agonized scream from a death or injury found its way into Hiccup's heart with excruciating consistency. This was battle, this was war, and it was slowly killing him, yet he had no time to grieve, no time to block the pain. His people were counting on him, and he would not falter.

Seated behind Hiccup, Thorjn, clung to the young man's waist in a very un-manly fashion.

"Must you go so f...fast?" the Viking demanded, ashamed of his behavior, but unable to let go of the slim rider in front of him, for fear he would fall off.

"I have to get you to your fleet, Thorjin," Hiccup insisted as he pushed his dragon even faster. "They can't be that far behind and you need to tell them to hurry. They need to engage the armada on this side. My mother told me the rest of the armada is coming into Berk from the south and I don't have enough men to protect the island."

Meaning he would have to pull people back from this engagement, which would leave his friends balancing the second wave even more outnumbered.

He should have known better, he should have known that only half the armada was with Drago, but he had held a naive hope that the Gods had smiled on them by only sending half. Now another five hundred ships were closing in on Berk and all his planning would be for nothing if they reached the island with only the handful of people left on it.

Berk was a small island with a mostly insignificant tribe, they couldn't win this battle by numbers alone and he suspected he would have to juggle men and dragons to keep everyone protected. He had anticipated a few ships would try and work its way around the other side of Berk, that was why he'd posted Eret there, but he hadn't expected five hundred. They were in no way capable of defending against that many, not when coming from both sides.

Thorjin nodded and winced as they took another hair- raising turn through the battle and over the warring ships. "You should have let one of the others take me, Chif. You are needed..."

"Toothless is faster than the other dragons." Hiccup was aware of where and how he was needed, but right now this took priority.

"They should have been here by now," Thorjin muttered. "I can't think what is taking them so long..."

"There!" Hiccup pointed and lifted a silent prayer to Odin as he spotted a small fleet making their way towards them. So few...well, he supposed it only looked that way after seeing the Berserker armada.

"Set me down on that ship," Thorjin instructed. "The one with the white and gold flag."

Hiccup directed Toothless downwards, ignored the cries of the Vikings who, upon spotting a dragon, immediately took up arms, but then Thorjin called out to them. Hiccup landed on the deck and a rail thin bearded man hurried over and clasped Thorjin in his arms.

"My son! You are alive!"

"Father, please," Thorjin mumbled and pulled back, embarrassed. "Chief Hiccup of the Hooligan tribe this is my father, Chief Tofi of the Kundin tribe."

Tofi extended his hand and Hiccup gripped his forearm in the traditional greeting, trying to hide his shock. Thorjin's chief was a hiccup!

"I have long wanted to meet you, Chief Hiccup. Your father was a great man. It is regrettable that our first meeting must be under these circumstances."

"Thank you, and thank you for coming to our aid, Chief Tofi," Hiccup finally managed. "Unfortunately I have no time for pleasantries. The Berserker armada are attacking us from both sides. I need you and your people to get into this battle as quickly as you can and handle those attacking us from the north."

"Of course." Tofi replied, grimly and lifted his hands towards his first mate. "Extend the sails fully, throw whatever we don't need overboard to lighten the load and set two additional men to each oar." He turned back to Hiccup. "We were making our way to you as fast as we could, but we ran into some rough waters and had to cut back on the manpower. How far away is the Armada?"

"Maybe another ten miles or so."

"We should reach them by half the hour. Can your people keep them busy until we arrive, otherwise they will simply have outrun us?"

Hiccup nodded and climbed back onto Toothless. "We'll do our best." He urged Toothless into flight and flew off.

"He is very young," Tofi commented, looking at his son. "This must be a great hardship on him."

Thorjin nodded. "He is physically and mentally exhausted, father, and yet he continues. His strategies are incomprehensible and strangely naive, and yet they work. His people trust and adore him, will fight to the death for him, yet he seems to have no understanding of their devotion. He works only for them and seems to have no ambition for himself."

"You know so much in such a short time, my son?"

"Unlike most of us he carries his emotions close to the surface, father, and in speaking with those around him I have grown to understand him well."

"You like this boy?"

Thorjin nodded. "I have never known a better man, save you."

"Well, he is the son of Stoick the Vast." Tofi smiled and clapped his son's arm. "Then we had better make sure he wins this battle."

Hiccup found Snotlout, updated him on the situation and requested he try to hold out for as long as it would take the Kundin ships to arrive. He considered trying to attack himself, try and find which ship Drago was on now, but he had more pressing matters than revenge. Dagur had said to win he should cut off the head of the beast, well, that was certainly Drago, but he simply couldn't risk getting sidetracked right now.

He sped back to Berk, ordered several more riders out to help Snotlout maintain the blockade, including Dagur, then dropped down on a cliff overlooking the south side of the island.

The spikes had been driven into the ground where men might come ashore, as requested, and Eret waited high on the cliff in the shaded trees with his archers.

"This is bad," Eret decided when Hiccup advised of the approaching invasion. "We don't have enough people hold off five hundred ships, Hiccup."

"I know and narrowing their way through sand will only buy us time. Eventually they will swarm us by sheer number."

Hiccup looked skyward and recalled the arrows that had come towards him the time he had been on Dragon Island with Drago. The trees were good cover, until or unless they caught fire, in which case they would be trapped. They needed something that could repel flaming arrows, withstand the fire, but still be flexible still allow their men to shoot back. He also needed something more effective against the ships. All they had was fire, and fire could burn the ships, but the armada would have people assigned to douse any flames.

They couldn't use the Smokebreaths again, Hiccup was already sick over the ones that had been killed in the first attack. He hadn't thought Drago and his men would be quick enough to kill the swift little dragons. He was hesitant to use any more dragons to just flying out and attack, they were too vulnerable in the air and there had been enough injuries with the ones fighting on the other side. There had to be something they could use that couldn't easily be rendered useless by the Berserkers.

"Hiccup!" Ruffnut called as the Zippleback landed beside them. "We scouted the second wave of Berserker ships; they'll be here in less than twenty minutes."

Hiccup wasn't listening, he was staring at Ruffnut, hard enough that the blonde woman finally flushed.

"Hey, dude, you had your chance. I'm married now, y'know."

Hiccup grinned. "You've perfected that Scauldron call, right?"

Ruffnut blinked. "Yeah, sure. Me and Scaldy see each other at least once a week, why?"

"Do you think you could get Scaldy to bring some of his friends for a swim?" Hiccup pointed towards the sea, and the outlining sales of the approaching ships. "Out there?"

"You mean, you want them to attack the ships?" Tuffnut demanded, surprised. "They'd be pretty defenseless..."

"Not with the Hackatoos for air support. They're fairly heavily armored and they're the best against wooden ships. How many do we have around?"

"Uh...maybe four..."

"Round them up. They can attack from the sky why the Scaldrons attack from below. The Berserkers may have ways to put out fires, but they can't douse boiling water, and that much moisture and heat will soak the wood, making it and easier for the Hackatoos to destroy."

"But that's..." Ruffnut grinned suddenly. "Pretty damn brilliant."

Eret grinned and tossed an arm around Hiccup's shoulders. "That's why he's the chief."

Hiccup shrugged off Eret's arm. "It's not about that!" he snapped. "People are dying, we have to end this as soon as we can. Ruff, Tuff, get going." He turned to look out at the black sails approaching them. "Snotnout needs more time, we all need more time."

But time was not on their side.

* * *

"They're out!" Fishlegs cried as Meatlug fired her remaining shot. "I have to bring them back and get them fed." As long as the Gronkles had a steady supply of rocks to eat their shots could be maintained, and he knew they would be needed for any land invasion as well.

Snotlout lifted his hand. "Go! I've got this!"

"Thorjin's ships have engaged, we should retreat!"

"There's still too many. Get the Gronkles and however many riders you can back to Berk to help, Hiccup. I'll stay here and keep them back as long as I can."

"Snot..." Fishlegs began worried.

"For the love of Thor, just go! That's an order!"

Fishlegs reluctantly called to the Gronkles and each one swooped down to grab whatever uninjured man they could from the ships below and headed back home.

Snotlout spotted a familiar Viking cleaving his way through other Berserkers and smirked. "Show off," he muttered, even as the Viking started to be surrounded

He pushed Hookfang into a dive, steep enough and close enough that many of the warring Vikings ducked as the dragon swooped over their heads.

Snotlout jumped off as Hookfang took to the sky again, and found himself back to back with Dagur the Deranged. "Aren't you dead yet?"

Dagur grinned wildly. "They keep trying, but so far no one has managed it. It's so disappointing."

The Vikings, having recovered from almost being flattened by a Monsterous Nightmare engaged their ex-chief once more. Dagur blocked, parried and thrust his sword into his attacker's stomach.

"Good, cause I wanna be the one to kill you," Snotlout retorted as he caught the wrist of a Viking swinging an axe towards him, punched the man hard enough to break his nose and knocking him cold. He caught his enemies axe before it hit the deck; now he had two axes. "Why are you even here, man?"

Dagur slashed through two more Vikings, then, saw a mace headed towards Snotlout's head out of the corner of his eye and instinctively raised the shield that Hiccup had given him. The mace bounced off the shield, sending a stinging vibration through Dagur's arm, but not damaging the shield. Dagur gripped the shield's rim for balance and watched as the shield opened and something punched the Viking away from him.

"I love this _ornate_ shield!" he cried, then responded to Snotlout's question. "I'm here because Hiccup asked me to be."

"He doesn't..." Snotlout grunted as he caught a blow to the head from his left side, then quickly backhanded the idiot that had landed the punch. "Dude! That hurt!" He stomped on the man's groin, then kicked him in the face, knocking him cold. "He doesn't really want you here, he just has no choice. I won't let you hurt him again, Dagur."

Dagur sliced open a man's chest and laughed as he once again found himself back to back with the muscular dragon rider. "Awww...is Snotlump jealous?"

"It's Snotlout!" Snotlout grimaced as one of the two men he was fighting managed to nick his shoulder with their blade. He caught one in the chin with the handle of one axe, then sliced into the arm of the second who was holding the blade. "Just die already, because when this is done I will kill you, anyway."

"If you want me to die, why are you here helping me?"

"I'm not here for you! I'm here for Hiccup!"

Dagur turned and met Snotlout's eyes with a fierce, determined gaze. "As am I."

* * *

The Berserkers had made it ashore on the south side of the island. In the water several meters away was a collage of wrecked ships and the beach below was littered with Vikings that had been pierced by arrows or spikes, or both.

The Scaldrons and Haccatoos were doing their job and managed to wreck several of the ships already, but there was simply too many in the water for it to matter. While some of the Hooligan's flaming arrows had managed to disable some of the smaller crafts that the Berserkers that had retreated to, several more still made it ashore.

The Nadder spikes had managed to bottleneck the Berserkers only for a few minutes, and it was enough for Eret's men to take care of many of them with arrows, but the Berserkers just kept coming and, while the majority were still fighting on the beach below, a few of them were surging up the path to the cliff above.

Hiccup and his team had moved down from the top and were now fully engaged in combat. Hiccup had managed to blast his way through several of them with Toothless, but he had gotten knocked off the dragon at some point and had lost sight of his dragon. Almost immediately he was battling against a mammoth Berserker who seemed intent on taking his head off with an axe that seemed to larger than Hiccup's whole body.

His flame sword would do him no good here, and he was crap with an axe or a blade. He was better with a bow or cross bow, or even with his shield, but he had given that to Dagur. All he could count on was his quick reflexes and his hand to hand abilities as he tried to dodge his attacker while searching for Toothless in the chaos. Why, why couldn't he fight better?

The mammoth Viking caught him in the back with his boot as he was turned away and Hiccup landed hard on his stomach with a punishing thud. Unable to move because of the weight pressing down upon him, and knowing this could well be the end of him, he raised his hands over his head. "I'm sorry Astrid,"

He was startled when instead of the pain of impalement he heard a distinct clang, and risking a glance over his shoulder, saw that Eret stood over him, his sword blocking the Berserker's axe.

"How about trying someone your own size, my friend?" the arrogant trapper encouraged. "Or are you incapable of a fair fight?"

The Berserker growled as he was forcibly shoved back and landed on his considerable sized ass. "Fine, I'll kill you first, then use him to pick my teeth!"

The Berserker charged as Eret grabbed Hiccup up with one arm and shoved him out of the way.

"Too slow," Eret teased as he sidestepped the man's advance twice. "Yet again." He tsked and tapped the edge of his sword on his palm. "And you call yourself a Viking?"

Hiccup rolled to his feet and started to move forward to help, as the Berserker was still head and shoulders taller than Eret, but he was suddenly grabbed from behind. Catching his attacker's wrist he pivoted and threw the man over his shoulder, then twisted the Berserker's arm until he heard it snap and the man cried out in pain.

Hiccup was grateful to Eret, but he couldn't keep counting on other people to rescue him. This was life or death, he couldn't be cautious here, he didn't have the luxury of doubt or guilt.

He heard a suspicious _thwap_ behind him and turned to find Toothless, who had knocked another Berserker back with his tail. The dragon whined and nudged his rider, worriedly.

"I'm okay, bud." Then he remembered one of his newer inventions and quickly dug into the saddlebag.

Eret was holding his own, but the Berserker's sheer size was against the tapper and seeing an opening in their battle he called out.

"Eret!"

Eret glanced towards Hiccup and dove out of the way as his Chief tossed the small round canister which he had named a Zipplepuff. The green gas exploded from the canister as Eret darted towards Hiccup, snatched him by the arm and the two hopped onto Toothless, who immediately took to the air and landed higher on the cliff.

"S...sorry about that," Hiccup managed as they slid off by a grove of trees.

"Hey, I'm more afraid of your wife than that guy," Eret tossed, but he was breathing heavily and bleeding from his shoulder. "She'll be pissed if I let you get killed."

Hiccup surveyed the battle from their vantage point and scowled. "This isn't working, there are too many of them."

"We may have to call him in, Hiccup."

"There's no way to control the damage!" Hiccup shook his head. "I can't just kill them, Eret..."

"We're all gonna die if you don't."

"There has to be another way."

"There isn't." Eret put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "It was part of your strategy, remember?"

"Only as a last resort and I don't even know if it will work!"

"We're losing, Hiccup. We need a last resort."

Hiccup knew Eret spoke the truth and he died a little more inside. He swore then cupped his hands over his mouth and let out a strange, whining cry.

Eret ripped a small ivory horn from his belt, blew into it and the response was instantaneous. All members of the Hooligan tribe that could walk grabbed the ones that couldn't and scrambled back up the cliff, away from the battle. Those on the beach ran for the outlying posts that had been imbedded in the sand and quickly lashed themselves to it.

Surprised by the sudden retreat, the Berserkers started to surge forward, only to hear a strange whirling sound. They looked up, horrified at the advancing red and grey beast, then started running back towards the water, but the Typhoomerang with its fierce wind and flame was already consuming them.

Hiccup forced himself to watch as the dragon wreaked havoc on the beach below, watched men howl and scream in terror as they were swept up in the tornado-like force and tossed miles out to sea, or burned to a crisp by the ensuing fire. Hiccup released a second call, gave a hand signal up and then forward and the Typhoomerang headed for the Berserker fleet. Ships were crushed against each other, cries filled the air along with the wretched sounds of ripping wood and screeching metal.

Hiccup sounded another call and started forward as the Typhoomerang landed and hobbled towards him, then bent his head to nudge Hiccup.

"Yeah..." he croaked staring at the destruction before him. "Y...you did good, Torch." Gods! What had he done? A hand landed on his shoulder and he glanced back at Eret.

"They're retreating," the trapper stated, quietly and pointed towards the few ships that had managed to survive unscathed. The few Beserkers that had been caught on the trail heading up towards the cliff had been blown off or ran off after seeing what had happened to their tribesmen.

"Send whatever riders we can and pick up any survivors." Hiccup turned away and walked towards Toothless. "Make sure our people below are okay and see to their injuries as best we can."

"Hiccup..." Tuffnut began rushing up, he and Ruffnut had been among the people lashed to the posts below and both were covered in blood and dirt. "I can't believe you were right! Those posts were just outside Torch's fire ring range!"

Ruffnut's long blond hair had been whipped free from its usual braids by the Typhoomerang's wind and fell in chaotic waves down her back, but because she and the others from their tribe had retreated to the posts outside of the dragon's range, they were none the worse for wear.

"Go look after your wounds."

"It's okay, none of this is ours," Tuffnut grinned with a sense of pride, then scowled when Hiccup continued to face away from them as his hands tightened on Toothless' saddle.

"Hey, Hiccup..." Ruffnut moved forward to touch his arm, sensing his distress. "Hey, it's..."

Hiccup avoided her and climbed onto Toothless. "See to the survivors, then get back to the other side of the island as soon as you can." He urged Toothless up into the air, and when he was high enough, let the tears fall.

So many dead, so many hurt and for what? All so Drago could have his revenge? All so a madman could call himself a leader of men and dragons? It had to stop. It all had to stop. "This ends now." He dashed his tears away and urged Toothless to fly faster across the island." "I'm coming for you, Drago."

On the North side of Berk, several of the Berserker ships had made it through the barricade and many of them were in smaller boats heading for shore. Fishlegs and Gobber were on the cliff above the docks, operating and organizing the use of catapults against the approaching ships.

Huge piles of rocks sat beside the catapults and were being consumed by the Gronkles, who in turn were dropping their lava bombs into the rounded seats of the catapults before being released towards the approaching Berserkers.

Below, small fires burned where Valka was giving the orders for archers to fire out over the water at the Berserkers who had been knocked into the water and were attempting to swim to shore, or to the smaller crafts that held their tribesmen.

A familiar blond figure led a team of Deadly Nadders over the water closest to shore to fire spikes into to the smaller approaching ships, delaying and sometimes preventing their passage inland.

"I'm gonna kill her," Hiccup ground out as he swooped down and grabbed a startled Sven, just as he let an arrow fly.

"Uh...Chief...what?"

"Just transferring some personnel," Hiccup growled as he sped towards his wife and Stormfly.

Astrid spotted him, flushed and grimaced, then turned back to coordinate a second attack. When Toothless reached her she refused to meet Hiccup's hard gaze.

"Get on," he ordered in a tone that brokered no argument, and Astrid complied as Sven swung atop Stormfly. "Can you takeover, Sven?"

"I've got it, Chief," the Viking assured and watched the Night Fury fly off again.

Astrid held onto Hiccup silently, knowing there was nothing she could say that would curb his anger and disappointment in her. She truly had not intended to get into the battle this much, but Hiccup and most of the riders had been on the other side of the island, and she had no idea where Snotlout was. She couldn't just let those Berserkers come ashore so she'd had to make a decision.

"How...how is the fighting on the other side?" she asked, timidly.

"Over."

She winced. He sounded furious and she couldn't blame him. She'd been stupid, and had broken her promise to him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and pressed her cheek to his back.

"Astrid you..." He snapped his mouth shut, this wasn't the time.

He knew she would have had a valid reason for doing what she did, but she'd given him her word, damn it! Realizing then that no one truly had a choice in this fight anymore, he altered his course and landed by the Great Hall, instead of dropping her on the high cliff top, where they liked to watch the sunset, to keep her out of harm's way.

"Get inside."

"Hiccup! You can't leave me out of this..."

His agonized gaze cut off her protest. "We're going to have injured coming in. I need you to get the mothers and any of the older kids ready to receive them." He slid off of Toothless and pulled Astrid down. "Then take Toothless and meet me at the docks, bring your axe."

Astrid gaped at him, and tears filled her eyes. "You...you're letting me fight?"

"We're all going to have to fight. We don't have the luxury of anyone staying out of this if we're going to survive; we've already lost too many people." He leaned in and kissed her soundly, just as Eret and Skullcrusher dropped down beside them. "Try and be careful, okay? I love you."

Astrid hugged him hard and nodded, then released him as Eret gave him a hand up onto Skullcrusher.

Toothless whined, seeing his rider on another dragon.

"I need you to stay with Astrid, Bud. Do this for me, you protect her, okay?"

Toothless whined again then nodded and watched fearfully as the two men flew off.


	21. Chapter 21

_Hey everyone! I'm back. Sorry this was a long wait, but I wanted to make this chapter the very best I could, and hopefully I did. Once again much gratitude and love to Incarnate Firefly for helping me put my thoughts together for it and making such excellent suggestions. _

_He and I are writing a new story together, a crossover of Thor and HTTYD, so I hope you will check it out and give us loads of reviews and support. It's called **Twelve Days North Of Hopelessness** and it's pretty awesome so far (thanks mostly to Incarnate's spectacular writing!) Check it out, please!_

_And now...because I know you are waiting, here is the final battle chapter. I have split into two parts because it was so long, and will post both at the same time so you don't have to wait! Aren't I a nice authoress? ;-)_

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Snotlout flew over Berk on Hookfang and howled a cry of victory. They had the Berserker fleet on the run, the bastards couldn't turn their ships around fast enough and those that were on land, still alive and able to swim were doing just that, chasing after their battered and broken armada.

Eret waved at Snotlout, and gave the signal to pull his men back and let the Berserkers retreat. He whistled and several dragons showed up to pluck up their enemy and fly them out to what ships were still able to sale; wanting the bastards off the island as soon as possible, as Hiccup had not wanted any prisoners. He shouted a warning to the men to spread the news of what happens when anyone dared attack Berk.

The ground was littered with bodies, most of them Berserkers, also a couple of dragons, but there were several Hooligans among them and Eret knew that would grieve Hiccup the most. He started to step around and over the bodies, searching for anyone left alive, watched as his men followed suit.

"Eret!"

He glanced up as Stormjumper hovered above him.

"Where is Hiccup?"

"I have not seen him." He glanced over the bodies, but did not see any that looked like their Chief. "I think he was down by the docks, last I saw."

"Aye."

Both glanced sideways as Gobber limped towards them. "He and Dagur were worried Drago might have gotten in through the caves, they went to look."

"Eret, you and Gobber check the caves," Valka ordered as Snotlot slid up beside her.

"Those tunnels lead all over the island. I'll grab the twins and we'll check the East and West sides."

"I'll head for the village," Astrid announced as she and Toothless landed beside Eret. "And the hall."

Valka nodded. "And I'll go south."

Moments later they parted and flew their dragons to opposite sides of the islands.

Hiccup reached his hand up as Dagur reached down to pull him free of the hole that had been made in the center of town. They had covered all the tunnel openings made by the Whispering Death several years before, but somehow Drago had guessed which tunnel had led to the village and had blasted his way out.

"Tracks lead off that way," Dagur announced, as he pointed up towards the structure carved into the mountain.

"We can't let him reach the Great Hall, we have women and children and even injured in there."

"It would help if we had that dragon of yours!" Dagur growled and they started running.

Hiccup agreed, but he still would rather have Toothless watching out for Astrid than here. Yes things were slower without his dragon, but he would just have to make up for that. "Less talk more running."

Just before they reached the Chief's house, a blast of green fire came hurling towards them. Hiccup shoved Dagur behind a cabbage cart, just barely avoiding the witches attack.

"Oh great," Hiccup muttered, rolling his eyes. "She's back." He glanced at Dagur, noticed that the Berserker had broken out in a heavy sheen of sweat and his eyes were tightly closed. "Dagur?"

"So much blood. There's so much blood."

Hiccup caught Dagur's shoulders and shook him, this was no time for the Viking to break down. "You can't do this now!"

"Please...don't hurt me...don't...I can't... The screams..."

"Dagur!" Hiccup growled peeked over the rim of the cart and spotted Drago half way up the hill leading to the hall, while the witch formed another ball of fire. He grabbed Dagur, took a leap and rolled behind a barrel of fish as the cart where they had been exploded. "Dagur! Little help here!"

"So much blood...so much..."

"Look at me!" Hiccup slapped him, hard. " Dagur. Dagur. Brother!"

Dagur's eyes finally focused. "H...Hiccup."

"I know you're afraid, but I need you here with me. You have to keep your head, okay?"

Numbly, Dagur nodded. "S...sorry."

"Can you do this?"

"I...yeah. Yes. I can do this. I'm okay."

They both peeked around the barrel as the witch formed a third ball of fire.

"I wish Fishlegs were here," Hiccup groaned, as he desperately searched for more cover or a weapon he could throw.

"Why?"

"He could probably tell us how many shots a witch has..."

"At least three!" Dagur threw himself over Hiccup as the barrel exploded and fish rained down upon them.

Hiccup spotted a large cracked mirror that Astrid had put out a few days before and grabbed it up. "When I say go, run."

Dagur nodded and spotted the witch forming a forth ball of fire in her hands, waited. "Incoming."

"Go!"

Dagur bolted, as Hiccup rose and held the mirror in front of him. The green fire hit the glass, blasting him backwards , then ricocheting back towards the witch. The woman deflected it, but the return had startled her and so she did not properly command her blocking spell. The green fire bounced off the red shield she threw up and blasted a hole in hall steps in front of Drago.

The Dragon Master spun around, surprised.

"Going somewhere, Drago?" Hiccup demanded.

"Why yes, I was looking for your wife, actually."

"She's not in there, but you found me."

Drago shrugged. "Then I'll just kill whoever is inside."

"No!" Hiccup started running, Dagur alongside him.

Suddenly there was a blast of blue fire from above and Drago was thrown several feet into the air as the steps before him exploded.

Hiccup watched the larger Viking land and roll backwards towards them, then waved at the Night Fury hovering above them. "Hit him again!"

Astrid and Toothless complied, but Drago curled his cape around him and deflected the blast. Almost immediately the witch countered with a flurry of green and red fire balls. Toothless dodged the first two but the third hit him dead center and he flipped backwards with a startled cry.

Astrid screamed as she was flung off the dragon and started falling.

"Astrid!"

Dagur tossed his weapons, hopped over a cart, leapt onto a barrel, scaled the roof of a shed, sprinted across the roof and jumped. He caught Astrid in his arms, tucked her body to his and turned them in midair so that the impact was on him when they hit the ground.

"O...ow," he managed weakly. "That...hurt."

"Oh my Gods!" Astrid groaned, she'd felt some of the impact, but not nearly as much as Dagur had, and if she had fallen from that height alone, she would surely be dead. "T...thank you, Dagur."

"Don't...mention it. Ever." He wheezed. "Can you...get off now?"

"Sorry!" She scrambled up, then spun around and noticed Toothless had recovered enough to dip down and grab his rider. "Go get 'em babe!" she crowed, then winced and put her hand to her stomach.

Hiccup was so relieved to be back on Toothless he almost cried, but there was no time for such hysterics, the witch was once again hurling fire at them and Drago was starting to climb around the shattered staircase to the hall.

Toothless blasted the witch but she continued to deflect his fire with her magic, and Hiccup knew that the woman was just a diversion. He couldn't let Drago get to the hall, and when he spotted someone opening the hall doors, brought by the noise outside, he screamed at them.

"Get out! Get everybody out of there now!"

The woman nodded and quickly closed the door again. He knew she would bar the door and get everyone to the catacombs, but she would need time to move them. Turning Toothless away from the witch he flew to the front entrance to face their enemy.

"Your fight is with me, Drago," he insisted. "Call off your witch and let us settle this as men."

"Come down off your dragon and we will."

Hiccup wasn't stupid. "Go back down first, then I'll face you without Toothless."

Drago smirked, gave him a mocking bow, then turned and started down. Hiccup waited until Drago was closer to the center of the village, then he landed opposite him.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried as she and Dagur started to race towards him, only to have the witch toss a couple of barrels at them with her magic, knocking them both cold.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried and turned Toothless towards them, only to have Drago stand between them and his victims.

"We can't have them interfering," Drago reminded and Hiccup was left to agree. He didn't want anyone else to get hurt. "Face me, boy, without your beast."

Hiccup wanted to run to Astrid, make sure she was okay, but he needed to defeat Drago before anyone else got hurt. Toothless whined. "It's okay boy, just stay out of it." He slid off of the dragon and retrieved his sword and shield. "Let's do this then."

He watched Drago swing his sword with skill and intimidation, so focused on his enemy that he missed the signal that was given to the witch. The magic blast hit Toothless hard and fast, without any chance to avoid it and Hiccup was still close enough that he was thrown backwards.

Pain and nausea speared through Hiccup, his ears were ringing and his vision blurred. He lifted his head, panting and focused on the pile of rubble that had been a feeding shed, and a familiar blue-black tail visible beneath the stones.

"NO!" He cried and scrambled over to the pile, trying to rip and pull the rubble off his friend. "Toothless!" So afraid for his dragon he didn't see Drago walk up behind him until it was too late.

Drago laughed as he hauled Hiccup up and tossed him.

Hiccup slammed into the side of the forge then slumped to the ground. He tried to scramble up, he had no weapon, no shield and no dragon. He reached through the window of the forge for the first thing he could grab, which was a hammer, and swung it at Drago, but the larger Viking caught it and squeezed his fingers over Hiccup's painfully, causing the young chief to lose his grip and the hammer fell to the ground.

"You are nothing without your dragon, eh boy?"

"More than you'll ever be," Hiccup assured dodging Drago's next swipe, and then finding himself gripped by the throat and thrown hard against the wall of the forge again. "Why can't just leave us in peace!"

"Peace? Peace! You took everything from me! My dragons, my life!" He indicated his missing arm. "Everything!"

"Bastard!" Hiccup screamed in Drago's face, furious. "You took everything from everyone else! You used my best friend to kill my father!"

Drago shrugged. "Casualties of war."

"Then let this be another one." Hiccup ripped the knife he used for sharpening his pencil out from his wrist pouch and plunged it into Drago's eye.

The man roared in fury and Hiccup found himself air born once again, as if he weighed no more than a rag doll. He hit the ground hard, felt something break and sighed; really? Again the ribs, he thought before slowly attempting to sit up.

"Witch!"

Hiccup watched, stunned as Drago ripped the knife from his eye and the witch formed some sort of magical patch over her master's socket, stemming the flow of blood. "For the... love of Thor..." Why wouldn't the man just die already?

"Now..." Drago grinned, advancing. "Now, I kill you!"

"You..." Hiccup cradled his ribs as he rose. "Talk too much." He pulled his Inferno off his belt and released the Zippleback gas.

"What..." Drago surged forward as the young chief started to disappear behind the green fog. "More of your tricks?"

"This from the guy who owns a witch," Hiccup muttered as he used the gas to hide his movements.

Drago cleaved his sword through the gas, sure he would hit Hiccup if he just kept moving forward, through the green mist, and then, as it started to clear, found himself alone. "Where?"

Drago spotted a small tendril of green smoke leading back behind him, but even as he turned and spotted Hiccup, now several feet away on the opposite side, he had no chance to respond as the young man switched his sword to flame.

"No!"

Hiccup touched the tip of his sword to the gas, watched the trail catch fire, spark and burn back to the concentrated area around Drago. Seconds later the explosion echoed around them and Drago was flung several feet into the air then tumbled backwards against a collection of carts and crates.

Knowing that would not be enough to defeat his enemy, Hiccup limped back to where he had dropped his sword and shield, lifting it just in time to block Drago's sword as it swung down upon him. The sound of metal against the Gronkle Iron made his ears ring; Drago was certainly stronger than he, so he wouldn't be able to hold back by force alone.

He managed to release the catapult on his shield and it hit Drago square in the jaw, knocking the larger Viking off balance and back on his ass. Hiccup rose, feeling every single injury he'd suffered so far, and even the ones that were supposed to have healed. The hand he had fractured was throbbing painfully, he could tell he had pulled the stitches from the wound in his side, it felt wet behind his armor, and his ribs were once again in fire.

He switched his shield to the cross bow, aimed as Drago rose to his feet again. "Concede."

Drago laughed. "Never!"


	22. Chapter 22

_Second part! So, what did you think of the last chapter? Did you leave me a review? If you did, I love you. __ WARNING- character death, moments of extreme violence. Don't forget to check out Twelve Days North Of Berk written by me and Incarnate Firefly._

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Drago surged forward and Hiccup fired his shield crossbow, but the arrow glanced off Drago's thick, dragon-scale breast plate. He only had one arrow in his shield, so he tried to change to the bolo, but Drago was already upon him. He'd managed to block the first attack, even got his Inferno beneath his shield long enough for the flames to touch Drago's pant leg and catch fire.

Drago stumbled backwards, grabbed a nearby bucket of water and doused his burning leg.

Hiccup dropped his shield, grabbed the sword that Dagur had dropped when he had run to Astrid's aid, and swung upwards with it, catching Drago by surprise and slicing through the thin straps of leather at the side of his armor, just under his arms. His breast plate dropped to the ground with a heavy thump.

"Very cleaver." Drago tossed the bucket aside and stepped over his armor as he advanced on Hiccup once more. "But you'll need to do more than that to defeat me, boy."

"I'm working on it," Hiccup assured, and couldn't help glancing at where Toothless was still buried and Astrid and Dagur remained unconscious. He'd have done it by now if Drago wasn't using his witch for protection and healing. "I'm fighting without my dragon, why don't you fight without your witch?"

Drago smiled, menacingly. "Very well, just you and me boy. This is too easy." He lunged and Hiccup surprised himself by blocking. He wasn't very good with a sword, but that and Inferno was all he had at the moment, he just needed to get it past Drago's defenses again and set the bastard on fire!

He dodged left when he should have moved right, and when he tried to compensate he felt the sting of steel slicing just under his breast plate and grazing his skin; the leather prevented a deeper swipe. There was no time to recover, for Drago was attacking again, his massive sword bearing down as Hiccup tried to counter, but he was off balance and the metal sword was ripped from his hand. He shoved Inferno forward, but Drago, who had a more extended reach, stepped back pivoted and brought his sword down onto Hiccup's shoulder.

Hiccup dropped his flame sword and crumpled to one knee. Not good! Not good! He could feel the blood flowing from his shoulder and from the cut on his stomach, but before he could address either Drago had kicked him back onto the ground.

After that, Hiccup lost count of the number of blows from Drago's foot or fist. He could taste blood in his mouth, it was a horribly sour taste and he knew he had lost, but still he tried to rise against his enemy. Still, he fought for some form of defense, and was pummeled for the effort. Cursing his weaker body and pleading to the Gods for help, he tasted dirt once more. Why didn't Drago just run him through? Did he plan on beating him to death, was it more fun that way?

He realized at one point that he simply couldn't move any more, something inside of him was definitely hurt bad, but he had to get up, he had to finish this. More people would die if he didn't, he couldn't let that happen. "Odin, help me, p...please," he whispered in agony as he tried to rise yet again. "Have to..." He'd made it to his knees and could go no further, his entire body shook with the effort.

"A fitting way for you to die, boy," Drago sneered. "On your knees, bowing to me. Now, who is the true Dragon Master?"

Hiccup managed to lift his eyes to the larger man, despite the fact that a thick line of blood ran from his nose, mouth and temple. "Not...you."

Drago glared at him, furious. "You would still claim that you are the one true master?"

"Dragons...have no...master. They...only wish...to live in...peace."

Drago grabbed Hiccup's tunic, crouched and pulled him close to sneer in his face. "I am their master, as I am your master now. When I am done killing you, I will kill your wife, your friends and family. I will rule over your people with an iron fist and I will mount your dragon's head on my ship!"

Hiccup managed a weak smile. "And I...thought...Dagur was...delusional."

"You have lost, boy! You will give me my due!"

"_Why_ would...I do that?"

"You will admit defeat!"

"Okay...I admit it...but you...you're no dragon master...and you'll never...rule my people."

Was he dying? It felt like he was...leaking. Was that the right word? Was his life force draining so fast he could actually feel it leave his body? Would he see his father soon? I miss you so much, Dad.

"I am the new Chief of Berk. Say it!"

"You...you're just a one...armed pelican, looking for a place to...sca...scavenge. You'll never be a...leader of...men or dragons." He managed a chuckle, his body was going numb, cold. "You...couldn't even...defeat... a Hiccup without...cheating and...using magic. " Hiccup searched for a word that would really piss the other man off. "You're no one, Drago."

Hiccup saw the rage cloud his enemy's eyes as Drago shoved him back into the dirt and felt a brief moment of triumph, even though he knew it meant his own death. He closed his eyes as Drago's sword came towards him.

The familiar clang of metal on metal caused Hiccup to open his eyes again and he stared in horror at a set of familiar legs standing before him. Slowly, he raised his gaze to see that the sword had been blocked by twin axes, wielded by a furious blond Viking of unparalleled determination.

"Back off, Yakbreath!"

"No," Hiccup croaked, but he couldn't even lift a hand to help her. She'd promised. She had promised! "The...baby..."

"Needs his father," she growled as she faced their nemesis.

Drago was startled enough by the fact that Astrid had slipped in between him and Hiccup without him noticing, so that when she shoved him, he actually stumbled backwards a few steps.

Astrid lowered her axes, held them out by her sides and stood with her legs wide, defiantly. "You'll have to go through me to get to him."

"Don't... do this!" Fear and panic engulfed Hiccup as he tried to lift an unsteady hand to her, cursing his body for not responding to his commands. "Please!"

"Through you?" Drago smiled at Astrid, a smile that promised a slow and painful death. "Gladly."

Astrid blocked his first two blows, but not the third and one of the axes flew from her hand. She swung the second far quicker than Drago had anticipated and managed a deep gash across his chest, which was no longer protected by his armour. She brought the axe swinging back just as fast and Drago retreated to avoid contact, but caught the axe with his sword, on its return.

He pushed against their clashing weapons, forcing Astrid to use both her hands to keep the blades away from her throat, as he towered over her and sneered. "Is this your best?"

"Nope." Astrid's knee came up, hard into his groin.

Drago grunted, but barely flinched. "So predictable for a woman." He managed to get his hand between their braced weapons and grabbed her tunic. "But I have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Astrid!" Hiccup watched in horror as his wife was tossed into a cart of broken weapons and both cart and girl toppled to the ground, one atop the other. "No!"

The sound of Drago's laughter incensed Hiccup, and suddenly, as if Odin himself was giving him a firm hand up, he blocked out the pain from his injuries and rose to his feet. He picked up one of the axes that Astrid had dropped and charged the Dragon Master.

Drago turned at the last minute and caught the blade of Hiccup's axe with the flat of his sword. He started to sneer as he had with the woman, but his confidence fled at the murderous rage he saw in those usually quiet green eyes. Fear, fury and panic filled the young Chief's heart as his blows came fast and unyielding.

Drago had no time to counter, no time to do anything but block Hiccup's attacks, as he was consistently pushed backwards. "Not...possible!" he muttered, actually working up a sweat now. There was no opening for him to get his hand on the boy, no relief from the blows to form a counter attack; it was as if the son of Stoick was possessed by the Almighty Thor himself

Hiccup's axe finally got through and opened a wider gash on Drago's shoulder. He paused for only a moment when he heard a weak voice calling for him. Astrid was trying to crawl out from under the cart.

Drago, sensing an opportunity to make the boy suffer, cast an order. "Kill the woman witch!"

The witch, who had been waiting for her master's direction, raised a ball of purple fire in her palm.

"NO!" Hiccup dropped the axe and ran for his wife as she started to get to her feet.

Everything seemed to slow in that moment; Hiccup could see himself ( _Stoick_) running towards him, he could see the witch (_Valka's scream_) and hear Drago's laughter (_A Night Fury's mouth opening wide_), then he was knocking Astrid aside and turning to watch the violet (_blue_) flames coming towards him (_No! Dad!_)

"Brother!"

Hiccup watched, horrified, as Dagur's manic grin suddenly appeared before him, his arms flung wide as if he was about to eagerly embrace him. Then the former Berserker Chief's mouth widened in shock, his face turned sheet white, and his body was surrounded by magical purple flames.

Dagur pitched forward as Hiccup bolted up to catch him, but he could already see that death had claimed the deranged Viking. The flames had died and Dagur was now cold to the touch.

Astrid crawled towards them, and quietly closed the eyes of the man who had saved her husband's life.

"A shame," Drago commented. "People always seem to die around you, boy."

"You monster!" Astrid screamed at him and reached back into the cart to search for a weapon that wasn't broken.

"I am yes." Drago moved forward so fast that neither Astrid nor Hiccup had the chance to rise, and put his sword to Hiccup's throat. "And now, time's up."

Hiccup remained still, aside from tossing an arm against Astrid to keep her back. He had badly wrenched his leg, had a dead man lying across them, and all the previous pain he had felt earlier was engulfing him once again, however, he spotted a flicker of blue beneath the rubble just behind Drago, and a surge of hope rose within him.

"I think you're...right."

Drago smirked, raised his sword and stepped forward, only to have his prosthetic arm severed from the shoulder by a flash of blue fire, for the second time in his life. He stumbled back, stunned as the sound of an enraged dragon and turned to see that Toothless' head had emerged from the rubble.

Blue light permeated through the cracks and crevices of the wood and stone until the rubble shattered and released a livid Night Fury.

Hiccup was so glad to see his friend, he almost started crying, especially when the dragon leapt in front of him and Astrid and shot another plasma blast at the man trying to hurt his family, but Drago managed to get his cloak around him this time, protecting him against Toothless fire.

"I will gut your dragon, boy and mount his head on my ship."

"You're repeating... yourself, Drago," Hiccup retorted and leaned gratefully against the legs of his friend. "Hey Bud. I'm so...glad to see you."

At that, Toothless roared then spewed a ring of blue fire all the way round him and his friends, preventing Drago from reaching them, or Hiccup and Astrid from reaching through on their side.

"Witch!"

Drago waited, however no magic fire came, and when he turned he saw that his witch was crumpled on the ground and Valka Haddock, holding a large, two handed sword, stood over her.

"No...Mom, no..."

"Step away from my son, Bludvist."

Drago laughed, even with only one arm he knew he could beat her. "Very well, come and get me."

"No more." Valka stared at Drago with hatred and fury. "You will die this day. I swear it by the All-Father, so that not even Hel will claim your rotting soul."

Hiccup struggled to rise, grateful when he felt Astrid's arms assisting him. Why was she doing this? What was she thinking? She was no match for Drago! "Mom! Please!"

"I have to do this, Hiccup. I have to avenge your father!"

No! He couldn't lose her as he had his father, but Valka's eyes met his and he felt as if all the breath left his body from the impact of the connection.

_Death to the Slayer if vengeance is won _

Hiccup closed his eyes tightly as a single tear slipped out, and he dropped back to his knees. "Oh Gods," he whispered and felt his heart break in two. He had to let her do this. It was her destiny.

Drago smirked, and then engaged Valka in battle. They circled each other, like cautious beasts fighting over a fresh kill. Drago swung, fast and hard, but Valka dodged sideways and the zing of his blade swished down, mere centimetres from cleaving her arm in two. She was ready again in an instant, her stance bold, carrying her weight on her back foot instead of her right as the fingers of both hands flexed purposefully around her hilt.

Drago thrust, Valka countered by turning her sword down and flat to block his blade, he pushed his face close to hers and laughed. She shoved her sword handle upwards into his chin and heard a satisfying grunt as his head whipped back, breaking their weapon's standoff.

Annoyed, Drago attacked with more ferocity and each time Valka blocked, but he continued to press her backwards and further away from Hiccup and Astrid. She was quick like a cat, her movements smooth and practiced and never once exposed her back to him. When he landed a kick to her stomach, instead of bowing forward as most would, giving him the perfect opportunity to decapitate her, she dropped to her knees arched backward, then brought her legs up to swiftly catch his chin with her boots, before tossing them over her head in a back flip and regaining her feet once more to face him.

Drago glanced behind him, saw the witch was starting to rise again. "Kill her!" he roared at the woman.

"Mom, run!" Astrid cried, and tried to step through the blue fire, but Toothless growled and blasted around them again, creating a higher barrier.

Valka didn't bother to turn towards the robed woman, for a second later there was a low growl from above.

Flinching, the witch lifted her gaze and saw Cloudjumper hovering in mid-air above her. Before she could cry out or defend with her magic, the dragon landed atop her and all movement stopped. The Stormcutter stepped forward and scrapped his feet backwards, like a cat in a litter-box, flinging the dead witch away from him as he would any feces.

"Awww, what a shame," Valka taunted. "It is so very hard to find a good witch, nowadays."

"Damn you!" Drago roared, as the magic that was healing his eye dissolved and blood ran freely down his face from the wound. "I'll cleave your son's head from his body and feed it to you!"

Valka advanced, blocked Drago's attempt to get to Hiccup, then she thrust, parried, blocked again before dropping to her knee and pieced his side with her blade.

Drago's fist came down knocking Valka backwards as he contacted with her jaw; yet again she managed to roll to her feet. He could see, however, that she was dazed by the blow and a trickle of blood had formed at the corner of her mouth.

He attacked her with vigour, watching the blood fly as he sliced her arm, her leg, her other arm. Valka fell to one knee, her sword raised over her head as she attempted to block the next blow.

"Toothless! Let me... pass!" Hiccup insisted as he again tried to rise and get past the fire and his dragon. "He's gonna... kill her!"

Toothless' ears flattened in apology and concern. He knew both his riders were badly hurt and he would not allow them to be hurt further. He also understood that this fight was for the humans and his job was to protect, not kill. And so, protect he would. He shot a plasma blast at Drago's feet, as the man's cape would simply protect him again. It startled Drago enough that he stumbled back, which gave Valka the chance to get to her feet again.

Cloudjumper roared and opened his mouth, as if he was going to roast Drago there and then to protect his mistress, but Valka warned him off.

"No! Cloudjumper!"

"Give up," Drago sneered at her. "My forces have already taken the island and you are growing weak. You cannot win."

"I don't need to win." She said as their swords clanged and once again their faces were inches apart. "I just need to wait."

Drago's eyes widened for a minute and then realization dawned, just as Valka's sword thrust upwards and through his massive chest in one powerfully skilled blow.

He staggered back, looked down and was amazed to see his shirt quickly staining with the red. He was Drago Bludvist, the one and only true Dragon Master, and he would not be defeated by a mere hiccup and a woman!

He charged again, then halted as two arrows pierced his chest. His eyes widened to see the familiar face of his former dragon trapper and a one armed, one legged man standing several feet away.

He was outnumbered, he had to run, but he would be back! He would not die here. This would not end here! He turned to flee and found himself face to face with more young people, one sitting astride a Monsterous Nightmare, two others on a Zippleback.

"Going somewhere?" Snotlout demanded, darkly.

This couldn't end like this! This wasn't how it was supposed to be! This wasn't fair! He was the Dragon Master! His gaze swung to his nemesis, the young son of Stoick the Vast who was being held by that idiot blond girl and guarded by a Night Fury.

"Have you no honor?" he gasped, he could feel his own blood filling his lungs. "Is this how you would defeat me, with numbers and trickery?"

"Learned it...from you," Hiccup said quietly, a black haze was starting to fill his line of vision and he wondered how much blood he had lost. "A...Chief protects his own...anyway he can..."

"And his own protect their Chief," Eret stated as he let fly another arrow into Drago's leg, causing the man to fall to one knee.

"This cannot be! I will not accept defeat! You will all die! All of you! This is not over!"

"It's over, you one armed bastard," Snotlout sneered as he and the twins took aim with their arrows, even as their enemy turned to flee in the other direction.

Drago fell forward to his knees a second time as three arrows pierced his back, then looked up as a shadow fell over him.

Valka lifted her sword with both hands as her hate filled eyes stared into his terrified ones.

"You...you can't."

"I must," she said and swung downwards, decapitating the man who had killed her husband with one swift blow. "It ends today."

Silence fell as Drago's body tipped forward and his head rolled across the ground.

Hiccup stared at his family, his friends with sadness, admiration and love. Vengeance had been won, the slayer was dead, killed by those he had had wronged. Each of them had contributed to Drago's wounds, each of them had carved off a piece of the bastard's soul, scattering it so that even Hel would not claim it.

"Thank the Gods," Hiccup sighed and let himself fall back into his wife's arms. "I'm just...gonna...pass out now." And so he did, missing the ensuing commotion and concern of his loved ones around him.

* * *

**_ *Thunk! Thank the Gods that's over. I'm exhausted!_**


	23. Epillogue

Prologue

_And so it is that all things must end. May it Be belongs to Enya, I know it is a Celtic song not Norse, but it was stuck in my head while I was writing this. Thank you everyone so very, very much for your continued reviews and support of this story.I hope I have managed to tie up most lose ends and that you enjoy the result.  
_

_If anyone is interested, I do have a third part started, however I am on the fence as to whether or not to post. I may have overdosed you all with these last two and you could possibly be sick of reading it. If anyone is interested please let me know._

_Also, please please check out the story I am co-authoring with Incarnate Firefly Twelve Days North of Hopeless and give us your feedback._

* * *

As the sun dipped low over the horizon, Hiccup waited just back from the edge of the water as the boats were prepared for the death rites. His injuries had been treated, his ribs wrapped a second time, and while he was still not in great shape, he would see this part of his duty done.

The sea was calm now, the debris of broken and burned ships had been cleared to make way for the passage of the dead to Valhalla. The wind which had been calm the night before had picked up, as if wishing to speed their journey to the All Father; it whipped and tugged at Hiccup's hair and cloak.

They had lost twenty one people, which were light causalities for a war, but when you considered how small a population Berk had, their deaths were significant. People he grew up with and respected, like Sven and Bucket were among them; Mulch had not stopped weeping yet for Bucket.

Gothi, a woman he had always considered a mentor to him, had sacrificed herself to give him a weapon to fight Drago's witch. Other casualties were locals that he knew by name or face and had daily contact with, but hadn't known very well. It was hard for a Chief to know everyone on such a personal level, even in a small community like Berk, but it did not make their deaths less meaningful. It did not make him grieve less for them.

And then, there was the overwhelming guilt he carried from the two most surprising casualties. Dagur, who had been his enemy, but had become a friend when he saved the Chief of Berk and his wife, had earned a warrior's death and was recognized for it. They dressed him in some of their best armament and, out of respect for the fallen former Chief, draped both the flag of Berk and one they had recovered from a Berserker's ship, across him, a sign that he was of two tribes, but would be one of them now and forever. Hiccup would always carry him as a brother in his heart.

"He's ready, Chief," Gobber sighed, sadly as he stepped away from the last boat.

Hiccup nodded, ignoring the pain of his injuries and crouched down as he stared into the now peaceful face of his friend. Just looking at that wide, childlike face and tuft of blond hair made Hiccup's chest ache, but he had no more tears left to shed for him.

This brave man had also earned a warrior's death, for in an attempt to save a dragon that had gotten shot down and attacked by Berserkers, he had flown in and battled them single-handedly. The dragon had gotten away, but his friend had been overwhelmed by the enemy; he had simply been outnumbered.

Hiccup pulled the Book of Dragons from beneath his cloak, lifted the sword in Fishleg's arms and set the book against the man's massive chest. He set the sword upon the book and adjusted his friend's hands on the hilt. They had worked so hard on this book, had such great adventures learning about dragons and then passing on their knowledge to the younger generation. There would never be another man like him, not on Berk, not anywhere, and certainly not in Hiccup's heart.

He leaned in and pressed his forehead to Fishleg's, whispered a prayer for Odin to care for his friend and mad a quiet promise of all the great scriptures in Valhalla that were waiting for Fishlegs to read. Fish was only ever happy when he was learning.

Gobber helped the young Chief rise, handed him his bow and arrow, then he and a line of other men pushed the boats into the water.

Ruffnut started to sing a prayer for their fallen warriors.

_**May it be an evening star  
Shines down upon you  
May it be when darkness falls  
Your heart will be true  
You walk a lonely road  
Oh! How far you are from home**_

**_Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)_**  
**_Believe and you will find your way_**  
**_Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)_**  
**_A promise lives within you now_**

**_May it be the shadow's call_**  
**_Will fly away_**  
**_May it be you journey on_**  
**_To light the day_**  
**_When the night is overcome_**  
**_You may rise to find the sun_**

**_Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)_**  
**_Believe and you will find your way_**

**_Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)_**  
**_A promise lives within you now_**

**_A promise lives within you now_**

Hiccup lit his arrow, pulled back and fired high into the air. A flurry of flaming arrows followed from the people behind him, a flame for each survivor cast into the ships of their fallen comrades. He watched as the boats lit, flamed and continued on their journey.

Toothless, standing close to his rider, released a long, solid blast and then a sorrowful cry into the air and a moment later the sky above them filledwith dragons, led by Valka on Coloudjumper, in a perfect formation of a final farewell salute as they followed the boats in the water.

"Babe?"

Hiccup did not turn his eyes away from the burning ships, even when his wife spoke to him. "I know."

There was still a lot to do, and he had promised her that he would delegate what he could so both of them could return home and properly recover from their injuries.

One of the midwives had found evidence of Astrid bleeding after the battle and after a quick examination, reluctantly confirmed that their unborn baby was among the casualties of the Drago's war.

Astrid had cried and begged her husband for forgiveness, but Hiccup simply held her and told her he loved her. What else could he say? They had both lost so much already, they had both made difficult choices that had needed to be made, but the loss of their child on top of everything else seemed to have hollowed them both out.

_Pain upon pain a life comes undone. _

Gothi's prophecies had come to fruition, and although he did not yet know the meaning of the final line, he could only assume that he was the heart of the dragon and that taking care of the rest meant things like he was doing now, continuing as Chief to his people.

There would be a proper time, a better time to grieve for their child, for their friends, but it wasn't now; it couldn't be now. Now it was all too fresh, too real. Now, life had to go on and he was the leader of the survivors of a war. He had to protect his own.

"I have to watch until the end," he told her and she nodded.

"I know." She curled her arm around his waist, careful of his ribs, and stared out as the boats sailed further out to sea. "Till the end."

Everyone else remained with their Chief and Right Hand until the very last flames could no longer be seen, until finally Hiccup turned and started to give instructions for cleanup of the battle to begin in the morning. Tonight, they would all sit down to a feast in honor of their friends, not because he wanted one, but because his people needed that celebration for closure. Tomorrow would be good enough to begin the slow rebuilding of their community.

During preparation of Drago's body, around the man's neck and beneath his tunic, they found a thick talisman edged with dragon's teeth, and in the very center a clear rounded vile that held a dark liquid. Gober confirmed it to be dragon's blood, and upon further investigation they also noticed strange rune markings all over Drago's skin.

Djor suspected it was a life enhancing spell, based on the scriptures that Gothi had left him, but he reminded them that the amount of dragon's blood and bone that would be required for such a spell was unthinkable.

When Hiccup realized what the slaughter of the dragons on Outcast Island had been for, and why Drago had been so hard to kill, he denied Drago a proper Viking funeral. They had burned the body, the witch with him, but no words were said and they would not be given the right of a journey to Valhalla. A few worried that this might put him in Odin's bad graces he did not care; he would give no quarter to such demons.

Finally, all fires were doused, the dead were well on their journey and the tired, injured and sorrowful survivors of the Hooligan tribe gathered in the great hall. The cooks had prepared a simple feast and everyone ate with a reserve that was unusual for such an affair. They all had lost someone dear to them, a chunk of their community was gone and it would be many, many years before the gap would be filled.

Hiccup sat at the head table with Astrid, Toothless behind him, Gobber, Eret, Valka and the original remaining dragon riders. The Chief of Berk raised his tankard each time someone offered a toast to a fallen comrade and picked at the food he had no interest in, but did not really pay attention to the rest of the conversations around him.

Instead, he dwelled silently in his own memories, surprised to find how many of them were good ones.

Finding Toothless that first time in the cove and cutting him free, and then his first time riding on the dragon. The first time Astrid had kissed him and strategizing with his team on how to improve their skills. Cooking for his father, laughing with his father and the day Stoick presented him with his mother's helmet. Valka, running gracefully across the back of dragons at the nest of the Alpha, and then dancing with her husband.

Gothi teaching him to read and encouraging him with his inventions in her unique, silent ways. Gobber showing him how to be a blacksmith, Sven how to properly tie rope. Huddling for hours in the hall, or in his room with Fishlegs as they talked about the Book of Dragons. His wedding to Astrid, and the naming of his first child in their community as Chief.

Flying with Astrid to confront the Flightmare, laughing and joking with Snotlout, watching Ruffnut train Scauldy for the first time. He thought of Alvin as well, and Dagur, although he didn't have as many good memories of the Berserker, he would still cherish all of them. He would never forget the deranged Viking's sacrifice.

Good people lived here on Berk, worthy people, people he would protect to the end of his days. It no longer mattered if he was a good Chief or worthy of their trust. He was their Chief and he would make them all proud of that fact.

He rose, lifted his tankard and the hall fell silent.

"Today we have won fought for our way of life, our freedom. Today we have bested a great evil and have shown the true value of the Hooligan Tribe. Of the Great All Father Odin, we beg acceptance of our fallen friends into your blessed embrace, and ask courage and continued strength for those who are left standing. They shall never be forgotten."

Everyone rose and lifted their tankard to echo the sentiment.

"They shall never be forgotten!"

Hiccup drank first and the rest followed. No, nothing would ever be forgotten.

* * *

Hiccup entered his house and sighed at the sight of Astrid in what had now become her regular day clothes, a long, blue dress. His wife tended to a pot over the fire as Valka looked at him sadly, shook her head.

Ever since Astrid had lost the baby, she had given up her warrior ways and seemed determined to be the wife that she thought Hiccup deserved. She blamed herself for pushing to join the battle, against her husband's wishes, and so decided her punishment was to give up fighting altogether.

The problem was, Hiccup loved Astrid as she was, not as whatever version her guilt-ridden mind thought suited him. He had tried to give her time to grieve, to adjust, but it had been almost two months now and he wanted his Astrid back, the woman who was his wife and friend.

"Um...Mom, could you give us a minute?"

Valka nodded and discretely slipped outside as Astrid set the table. She wasn't even braiding her hair anymore, she just left it loose down her back. Her reasoning was that she no longer needed to have to worry about it getting in the way during training or battles.

Astrid smiled at Hiccup and set his food on the table. "I made stew," she said as she added bread and a mug of wine. "I'm getting better, I think." She spooned up some of the stew from his bowl and lifted it to his lips."What do you think?"

He opened his mouth obediently and accepted the food, nodded. "It's good." He took the spoon from her, set it back in the bowl and caught her arms. "Astrid, this needs to stop."

"Don't be silly," Astrid smiled and pulled away. "If we stop eating we die and..."

"I mean the cooking, and the cleaning and stitching my clothes."

Astrid's smile slipped as she spooned up a portion of stew for herself. "It's what a wife does, Hiccup."

"Not _my_ wife, Astrid. Not you." He moved to her, set his hands on her shoulders. "I don't need you to keep my house. I never have and this..." He gestured to her clothing, her hair. "This isn't you. This isn't the woman I married."

She shook him off, slammed the bowl on the table. "It's the woman you should have married." She hiked her skirts and started up the stairs. "But it seems I can't do that right either, so why don't you just divorce me?"

Hiccup gritted his teeth and waved his hands in frustration before heading up after her. He found her sweeping the loft floor, walked over to snatch the broom from her. "Stop it, Astrid."

"Stop what, Hiccup?"

"Stop being someone you're not!"

She flushed and lowered her head. "I'm sorry I can't be the wife you want, Hiccup."

"You _are_ the wife I want, Astrid!" He growled threw the broom down. "Or, at least you were before you started dressing and acting like some...some docile female who doesn't even know her own mind!"

"I am who I am! I can't be anyone else." She moved through to the other room, settled on their bed and hid her face in her hands. "You'll have to divorce me. If...I can't give you what you want, what you...need."

"I've just told you what I want." He walked over and sat beside her. "What is it you think I need?"

"An heir," she sobbed then pulled herself back. "I...I can't give you...children."

Hiccup sighed and put his arm around her. "Astrid, we will have other children..."

"No!" She shrugged him off, rose and moved to the window, keeping her back to him. "I no longer b...bleed, Hiccup! Because of my own...stupidity and arrogance I lost the one child we made and I cannot give you any more!"

"Wh...what?"

She shrugged, miserably. "Something inside me must have been...damaged in the fight. I...I thought I could make up for it by...by being a better wife. By k...keeping your house and...and having your f...food ready for you." She dropped her head. "But it obviously isn't enough."

Hiccup stared at her, stunned. "How...how long have you known?" When she didn't answer the question he repeated it. "Astrid! How long have you known about this?"

"About...three weeks."

The fury rose in him so fast he had to literally grip the bedpost to keep himself in place. Three weeks! Well, that certainly explained the changes in her. "W...why didn't you...tell me?"

She lifted one shoulder, let it fall as she stared out at the darkening sky. "I...I knew when I told you our marriage would be over. I...I wasn't ready to let go of you yet. I...I'm sorry."

He was quiet for a long time. "And now...now you are ready? To...let go?"

She shook her head. "No. Not at all, but..." She shrugged again. "I can't give you an heir. You...the Chief needs an heir so... so you...you have to divorce me."

Another long silence that crept through her like a horrid arctic chill.

"Right."

She glanced back as he rose and walked out. A sob escaped and she slid down the wall, pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her head in them as the tears flowed.

She was startled to feel a gentle hand on her shoulder a few moments later, and she looked up at Hiccup crouching next to her. "You...you came back?"

"I had to," he said simply and held out a piece of paper and his pencil. "I need you to witness this."

He'd already written out the divorce decree? Oh Gods! With trembling hands, she accepted the pencil, and as she started to sign, he demanded.

"Read it, Astrid."

She had to wipe her eyes twice and blink multiple times to bring the words into focus. When she did she gaped at him. "You...what...You can't do this!"

"Now, sign it."  
"No!" She threw the paper away. "You can't abdicate as Chief, Hiccup!"

He caught her arms in a firm grip and met her wide-eyed gaze with an intensity she had never seen in him. "There are only two things I can't do, Astrid. Live forever, and live without you. If you are so intent on leaving me because you can't provide me with an heir, then I will renounce my title as Chief and you are no longer legally obligated to provide me with one."

His words, his testament to her shook her to the core, awakened something inside her that she was sure had died with the child in her womb. She shook her head in horror. "N...No. Berk needs you. They..."

"Yes, they do, but I am useless without you by my side!" he growled savagely. "I've given more than my share for our people, as have you, and I will continue to give everything for them, but I can't do that, I can't continue being their Chief if you leave me, Astrid."

"I...But..."

"I care about Berk, but I also care about my wife, and if I have to choose between you and our people then that decision is already made." His hands moved up to cup her wet face.

"H...Hiccup, I'm trying. I'm trying to do the things...to take care of you properly, but..."

"I don't care about any of that. I have a mother, I can do my own cooking, my own cleaning." He leaned in, kissed both her cheeks then leaned his forehead against hers, sighed. "I want my Astrid back. I want the woman I fell in love with, who promised to be my wife, my comrade in arms and my champion on the battlefield. I want the woman who promised to be at my side forever, on the ground or in the air. Where _is_ she, Astrid? Where has that woman gone?"

"I...I don't k...know!" All the hurt and anger and grief overflowed from her and she clung to him in despair.

Hiccup caught her in his arms, held her tight and closed his eyes. Finally! Finally she was letting go of her grief.

"I love you, Astrid. You, not some...some caricature of you, some...ghost trying to be the perfect woman, the perfect wife." He caressed her hair as she sobbed against him. "If...if we can't have children, then we...we'll just have to fill our lives with other things, like...like how much we love each other and...and family and friends."

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, clinging to him. "I...I'm so, so sorry. I...I just...you haven't touched me since...since... and...and I never should have been fighting...and I thought you...regretted m...marrying me, and...and our baby. Oh Hiccup, I wanted that baby so much."

So had he, but he wouldn't admit that to her, it would only make her feel worse. "I know. I'm sorry I haven't...that we haven't..." He pulled back just enough to wipe her tears away and cradle her face between his hands. "I'm sorry." He kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks. "I thought you were...still upset about losing the baby and...and you seem so tired and still in some discomfort lately that I didn't want to bother you."

She sighed and nodded. "I...I tried to hide it."

"You can't hide anything from me, Astrid. I've been watching you since I was five, remember?"

"I thought you hated me, for...for not listening. For losing the baby."

"I could never hate you, Astrid. Never."

She slid her arms back around him again. "I've missed you...missed...this."

"And that's my fault. I was trying to give you time to heal, baby. I'm so, so sorry." He touched his lips to hers in a slow, tender kiss. "It's been hard on me too. I've wanted you every day, but I didn't want to push you, or hurt you."

"Push me now?" she asked, desperately. "Please, Hiccup? I need to feel...I need to be with you."

He nodded, carefully rose, pulling her into his arms as he did. "I love you," he insisted as he lay her on their bed, then pulled back to remove his armor. "I miss having you with me in the field, Astrid, and on scout missions. I miss you in the village and...and everywhere else you're supposed to be with me." He slipped out of his tunic and lay over her. "I want my warrior back, the woman who stole my heart."

"Okay," she agreed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I...I'll see if I can find her."

"I really do love..." He blinked as he felt a strange movement against his stomach, and watched Astrid's eyes widen as well. "Uh...what was that?"

"I...I don't know. Maybe I'm hungry?"

When it happened again, Hiccup scrambled backwards as Astrid sat up. They both looked at her stomach in shock. With a cautious hand he touched her there, both held their breath and waited. Another bump against his hand.

"What is that?" He hopped off the bed, disturbed as Astrid paled. "A...a parasite or something?"

"I don't know! I don't know!"

"W...wait here. Don't move!" Hiccup ran downstairs and called for his mother, who was just outside feeding some treats to Toothless and Cloudjumper. "Mom!"

Valka hurried into the loft and found Astrid still sitting on the bed, frozen in fear. "What happened?" she asked as Hiccup took her hand, practically yanked her down to the bed and placed their hands against Astrid's stomach. "I don't understand, Hiccup. You're upset because Astrid had gained a little weig..." Her eyes widened at the movement against her hand and her eyes grew wide.

"What is it? Is she sick? What's wrong with her, Mom?"

Valka ignored her frantic son and kept her gaze on Astrid's horrified face. "Sweetheart, I know it is difficult for you to talk about, but I need to ask... Did you have a discharge when you lost the baby?"

Astrid flushed, lowered her eyes and nodded. "I don't know. I bled."

"And did she check you again after?"

Astrid's eyes flew upwards. "A...after what?"

"After the incident?"

"N...no. I..." Astrid bit her lip as tears filled her eyes again. "She said the...the child was gone and the...then...I stopped b...bleeding..."

"You haven't bled since that night?"

"M...maybe I should leave?" Hiccup suggested, growing more and more uncomfortable with the conversation. There were just some things that a man was not meant to know about!

"Hush, Hiccup." Valka rubbed her daughter-in-law's arms, gently. "Astrid? Have you bled since then?"

Astrid numbly shook her head. "Because, because of my injuries I am now barren."

Valka smiled broadly. "Darling, I don't think that's the problem." She turned to Hiccup. "Run and get Ingrid right away."

"Why? What's wrong with her?"

"Just go and get her, Hiccup!"

Hiccup grabbed his tunic, darted downstairs and hopped onto Toothless. He found the midwife, brought her back then paced downstairs as the woman and his mother tended to Astrid upstairs. Toothless sat on the rafters, his wide eyes following his rider's movements from one side of the room to the other.

"What could be wrong?" Hadn't they been through enough already? Was Astrid ill? Was he going to lose her too? Why weren't they telling him anything?

"Hiccup!"

Astrid's cry brought him up the stairs at a dead run, his dragon close behind. "What?" he demanded rushing to their room and gathering her sobbing form into his arms, she wore only her under wrappings. "What is it?" He looked at Valka and Ingrid. "What? What in the name of Thor is wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Hiccup. Everything is right, just right."

"I...I don't understand." He caught Astrid's teary face between his hands. "Please, baby, tell me? Why are you crying? Are you in pain? What is it?"

"I...I...A...a baby. Our baby."

"Aww, Astrid. I told you, we'll be okay we just have to..."

"No! We have a baby!" She grabbed his hand and pulled it to her bare stomach, which he noticed was rounder than usual. "It's still here! It's still here!"

He gaped at her, felt the baby kick against his hand and then stared wordless at his mother.

"There were two," Valka advised softly. "Astrid did lose one, but there were two, twins."

"I did not think to check at the time, I am sorry Chief," Ingrid offered. "For the additional sorrow my carelessness has caused you and your wife."

Hiccup's gaze returned to Astrid's, who was smiling now, despite the tears. "T...two babies." They had lost one, and he would always grieve for it, but there had been two and one survived. "I..."

"That is why she no longer bled," Ingrid continued calmly. "The child is still growing inside of her."

"So...you...you can have...more children? Our children?"

Astrid nodded happily then clung to him. "Oh, Hiccup. I'm sorry for hurting you, for not listening, for being stupid and pretending to be something I'm not and..."

"Now, Astrid you aren't to blame..." Valka began.

"I should have been paying better attention..." Ingrid said.

"Shut up!"

All the women were stunned into silence as Hiccup closed his eyes and squeezed Astrid tighter. He wanted to strangle her and kiss her at the same time. It felt as if his heart was going to explode from his chest, and that his bruised and battered soul had been ripped from his body, then shoved back in with a soft layer of cloud lining; making him feel lighter, happier.

"Stupid woman! Stupid..."

They had been through so much already, so much heartache, so much death and here she had been carrying all this worry and sorrow herself, had even been willing to leave him because of her misplaced blame.

"If you ever...ever try to..." He struggled to find the words through the overwhelming tide of emotions that threatened to sweep him away. "I love _you_. I _love_ you. If you ever threaten to leave me again I...I'll...Just don't okay? Just don't _ever_ do that to me again, okay?"

Astrid held him close, felt him tremble against her. Such a brave, intelligent warrior, was her husband, and yet the idea of losing her made him as weak and as helpless as a kitten. How had she gotten so lucky, to be loved by someone so great?

"I never will. Till the end," she promised, her eyes meeting Valka's and Ingrid's meaningfully. "We're in this together until the end, babe."

The women smiled, nodded and walked out, luring Toothless away as well.

"I'm sorry." Astrid pulled back to kiss her husband's cheeks, his eyes, his nose. "I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that!" He captured her face between his hands again. "Just forget about all of that, okay? You're fine, we're both fine our...one of our babies is fine. Just forget it. Just be my Astrid. Be my wife, my right hand and the mother of our child. That's all I want now, please?"

"Okay." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down atop her.

"W...what are you doing?"  
"Well, since I'm already mostly naked..."

Hiccup scrambled off her again. "We can't do that! We'll hurt the baby!"

Astrid groaned and rolled her eyes, catching his hand and yanking him back down. "We'll be careful! Please...I really, really want you to make love to me, Hiccup."

He wanted it also, he was just so happy to have her back to normal and to still be having a child with her, how could he refuse? After a moment's hesitation he pulled his tunic off again. "Fine, but I'll do all the work, don't...move around too much and, you know, jostle the kid."

Astrid laughed, for the first time in months, and lifted her arms over her head obediently. "I'm all yours."

* * *

_***Ahhh, you thought I was gonna have her lose it for good, didn't you? I would never do that to my readers! Then I would have to toss all the material I have for a third story, lol! However, having never had a child, certainly not twins, I can't say for sure that you can miscarry one without losing the other, but this is a story so artistic license applied here. :-)**_


End file.
